French Presidential Candidate Visits Artsakh; Baku Adds Her to ‘Black List’ – Asbarez.com

Valérie Pécresse, a leading candidate in France’s upcoming presidential race, visited Artsakh on Wednesday as part of her trip to Armenia, upsetting Azerbaijan, whose government placed her on its so-called “black list,” which includes political officials who have visited Artsakh during the past several decades.

The conservative candidate is challenging President Emmanuel Macron of France and has made the trip to Armenia presumably to ramp up support for her candidacy with the large French-Armenian voter base.

Pécresse was accompanied to Artsakh by Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator and a former French foreign minister, and Bruno Retailleau, the leader of the conservative Les Republicains party’s bloc in the French Senate.