BAKU, June 18. /TASS/. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry blasted France for agreeing to sell artillery to Armenia, saying Paris is pushing South Caucasus toward a new war.

"France supplies Armenia with lethal and offensive artillery capabilities, which again shows the provocative nature of this country's policy in the South Caucasus region. By rearming Armenia and supporting the policy of Armenian revanchism, France - a permanent member of the UN Security Council - is both showing political irresponsibility and leading the region down the path toward a new war," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry accused Paris of hypocrisy, saying the French Defense Ministry pledged in October that the military equipment to be supplied to Armenia would be defensive.

"We state that the responsibility for any potential exacerbation of the situation in the region and the creation of a new hotbed of war will be borne by the Armenian leadership and Macron's dictatorship," the statement said.

When the defense ministers of France and Armenia met on June 17, the countries signed a deal for Yerevan to buy Caesar self-propelled artillery units, which Paris also supplies to Kiev.