PARIS, September 1. /TASS/. France will make decisions on Niger only after consulting with the country’s ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, whom Paris recognizes as the only legitimate head of state, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

"Decisions - whatever they may be - will be made based on consultations with President Bazoum," Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Macron as saying.

He also reiterated his support for "the brave and clear decisions made by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which condemned the coup that led to heavy economic sanctions, and is seeking to restore constitutional order."

When asked if France was afraid of becoming diplomatically isolated due to its harsh rhetoric on Niger, the French leader said that he was not worried about putting himself on an island for staying true to his principles.

On July 26, a group of military rebels in Niger announced the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum. The National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, headed by chief of the presidential guard Abdourahmane Tchiani, was created to run the country. The leaders of ECOWAS member states introduced harsh sanctions against the rebels, demanding they release Bazoum and threatening to use military force. In early August, the military officers who came to power in Niger denounced military agreements with France and demanded the withdrawal of French troops. Paris refused to accept the demands, saying that the agreements had been made with the previous Nigerien government that France continued to consider the only legitimate one.