The shrem.az site reports with reference to the science.gov.az site that red paint was thrown on the statue of the prominent Azerbaijani poetess and public figure Khurshidbanu Natevan in Evian-le-Bain, France in 2017, the statue was covered with cellophane, and the word "Azerbaijani Park" was given to the area, the allegations made regarding the removal are another manifestation of France's act of vandalism against humanity, culture, art, human values and our country.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli, president of ANAS, said these words at the extended meeting of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Literature named after Nizami Ganjavi of ANAS, which was held on January 15, while expressing his opinion on the insulting of Khurshidbanu Natevan's monument in France.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli said that the head of the country in his extensive interview with Azerbaijani television evaluated this incident as an act of vandalism, and after the incident, not only in France, but also in Europe, our diaspora representatives and activists held a protest in front of the statue.

Academician Isa Habibbayli, who said that the Azerbaijani society and our intellectuals reacted strongly to this incident, strongly condemned the insulting attitude of public representatives towards Natevan's statue stressed that the step is considered as a criminal act not only against our country, but also against human cultural heritage.

The head of ANAS denounced as an unacceptable fact that after the Victory in the 44-day Patriotic War, France's attitude towards Azerbaijan worsened, that official Paris supported Armenia in an insidious way, and that it was sowing the seeds of a new war. He said that this is a manifestation of the French state's inability to digest the historical victory of Azerbaijan in Karabakh and the territorial integrity of our country.

Academician Isa Habibbayli, who said that after the Patriotic War, France armed Armenia, said that the main intention of France is to create new hotbeds of war in the Caucasus, and this thinking will lead Armenia to disaster.

"In recent years, France has been losing its foothold in Africa, local peoples are expelling pro-French heads of state from the country. French colonialism is today protested all over the world, as well as in Europe itself. In a word, France is shamefully expelled from Africa and tries to regain the foothold it lost there in the Caucasus. For this, they use Armenians as a tool. However, President Ilham Aliyev and the state of Azerbaijan will definitely not allow this. Other countries of the region, especially Turkey, and the Turkic states have also expressed their firm attitude on this issue," the ANAS president pointed out.

Saying that French President Emmanuel Macron has lost his political support and image in France as well as in Europe, the speaker emphasized that the French society itself, especially the "Yellow Vests", expressed serious objections to Macron's policy.

Academician Isa Habibbayli, who said that Khurshidbanu Natevan is one of the most prominent representatives of prominent female intellectuals of Azerbaijan, reminded that the poetess made her contributions to the world heritage, and the "Flower notebook - an album of illustrated poems" was included in the UNESCO World Memory Register in 2023. He said that Khurshidbanu Natavan hosted the well-known French writer Alexandre Duma, who visited the Caucasus, and sat with him at the chess table, showing the hospitality of Azerbaijan and the attitude of our people to the people of France, and in return for all this, the statue of our poetess in France faced brutal treatment.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli also said that important studies on French literature are conducted in our country, French writers' works are translated into Azerbaijani and all these are carriers of high human and cultural values of our nation and state.

President of ANAS expressed his strong condemnation of Victor Hugo's act of vandalism against Natevan's statue and our culture in the country where a museum like the Louvre is located, as well as the headquarters of UNESCO, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron's policy, and demanded that those who committed the incident receive appropriate punishment.

Then the speeches of Vice-President of ANAS, Academician Govhar Bakhshaliyeva, academician Teymur Karimli, Director of the Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad Fuzuli of ANAS, Director of the Institute of Architecture and Art of ANAS, Ertegin Salamzade, corresponding member of ANAS, expressing the idea of protest were heard. Also, translator of French writer Alexander Duma's "Voyage to the Caucasus", senior researcher of the Institute of Literature named after Nizami Ganjavi of ANAS, professor Gazanfar Pashayev, author of the monograph written about Natavan, leading researcher of the Institute of Literature, doctor of philology Islam Garibov, head of department, researcher of the poet's works, professor Tahira Mammad and the researcher of Azerbaijani-French literary relations Shahla Gurbanova, dissertation researcher of the institute, spoke. In the speeches, it was stated that the act of vandalism committed against Natevan's statue is an indicator of France's malice against Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan-France literary relations were discussed, and the importance of the French municipality of Evian-le-Ban's apology was brought to attention.

It was noted that France has historically shown its brutal attitude towards humanity and humanity with the genocides it committed in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and other African countries. In the speeches, it was emphasized that after the decisive victory of Azerbaijan in the 44-day Patriotic War, as a result of the pressures of the Armenian diaspora in France, the attitude of official Paris towards our country worsened, and during the past period, French officials made inhumane and unfair decisions.

They also emphasized that the inclusion of Natevan's "Flower Notebook - an album of illustrated poems" in the UNESCO World Memory Register shows that the poetess is the bearer of human ideas, but despite this, the monument of the poetess was subjected to inhumane treatment by France.

Speaking at the end, academician Isa Habibbeyli said that the historical victory of the Azerbaijan state under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev and the economic and political successes it has achieved have already been accepted by the world, that Azerbaijan has presented peace, justice, mutual trust and cooperation to the world, and said that against the statue of Khurshidbanu Natevan in France who express abusive behavior should receive their deserved punishment.