Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Turkey Faik Bagirov offers to organize a meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group countries to discuss dismissal of France of as co-chair country, after its Senate passed the bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide.

“The Minsk Group was formed March 24, 1992; thus we are marking its 20th anniversary. A meeting could be held on this occasion in which France’s role would be discussed as well. It’s no doubt that France’s neutrality is already a matter of question,” Bagirov told the Hurriyet Daily News, but added that there was no clear procedure on how to expel a co-chairing country.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial with 127 votes for and 86 against. Expected to be signed into law by President within 14 days, the bill will impose a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France who denies this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Two separate groups of French politicians who oppose the legislation - from both the Senate and the lower house - said they had formally requested the constitutional council examine the law. The groups said they each had gathered more than the minimum 60 signatures required to ask the council to test the law's constitutionality. The council is obliged to deliver its judgment within a month, but this can be reduced to eight days if the government deems the matter urgent.