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An EU-backed effort to avert a new conflict in the South Caucasus has been overshadowed by a growing diplomatic row, with Azerbaijan accusing French President Emmanuel Macron of misrepresenting what was discussed during high-stakes peace talks with Armenia, POLITICO reports.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met on Thursday evening on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Moldova for the latest in a series of negotiations on a potential peace treaty. Macron, along with European Council President Charles Michel and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, joined the sit-down as mediators.

In a statement following the summit, the Elysée Palace said the “European leaders called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to respect all their commitments,” urging the two neighboring nations to release prisoners of war and avoid “hostile rhetoric.” In addition, Macron’s press service added, the three Western leaders “stressed the importance of defining rights and guarantees for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.” 

However, on Friday, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada said “the statement made unilaterally by the French President about the meeting does not reflect and distorts the position of the parties. Unfortunately, this is not the first case of such behavior by France, and it does not make a positive contribution to the peace process.”

The Elysée did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the claims, and Hajizada declined to elaborate on which parts of Paris’ version of events Baku believes are inaccurate.