外交官稱，法國在亞塞拜然施壓後尋求解除歐盟對億萬富豪的制裁

作者：約翰・艾瑞許（John Irish）By John Irish

巴黎，9月15日（路透社）——三名了解此事的歐洲外交官表示，法國一直敦促歐盟解除對俄羅斯裔烏茲別克億萬富豪阿利舍爾・烏斯馬諾夫的制裁。法方稱，在亞塞拜然扣押兩名法國公民之際，法國承受來自亞塞拜然的壓力。PARIS, Sept 15 (Reuters) - France has been urging the EU to lift sanctions on Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov after coming under what it says is pressure from Azerbaijan as Baku holds two French nationals, three European diplomats familiar with the matter said.

歐盟各國使節週一未能就每半年延長一次對俄制裁達成共識後，將續延俄羅斯制裁名單的期限延後7天。該制裁續延案須獲27個會員國一致同意。European Union envoys extended the deadline for renewing Russia sanctions listings by seven days on Monday after failing to agree ‌on a six-monthly rollover of the sanctions, which requires the unanimous approval of the 27 member states.

歐盟外交官表示，法國已加入斯洛伐克的行列，呼籲解除俄羅斯2022年入侵烏克蘭後對烏斯馬諾夫施加的制裁。這名金屬與礦業鉅子已在歐洲提起多起訴訟，最終目標是讓制裁被解除；他的律師也對媒體中被用作制裁依據的說法提出異議。EU diplomats said France had joined Slovakia in calling for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Usmanov after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The metals and mining mogul has launched multiple lawsuits in Europe with the ultimate goal of having the sanctions lifted, and his lawyers have contested statements in the media that were used as grounds for the sanctions.

法國外交消息人士表示，巴黎方面呼籲解除對烏斯馬諾夫制裁的決定，是基於國家安全考量；法國也正對國際夥伴就烏斯馬諾夫案提出的接觸作出正面回應。French diplomatic sources said the decision by Paris to call for sanctions on Usmanov to be lifted was driven by national security considerations, and that France was responding positively to approaches from international partners regarding the Usmanov case.

歐洲外交官表示，巴黎私下曾表示，巴庫正利用烏斯馬諾夫，就兩名遭亞塞拜然扣押的法國公民案件對法國進行「勒索」。巴黎方面稱，其中一人遭任意拘押。巴庫已依間諜罪名判處這名法國公民有罪。The European diplomats said Paris had indicated in private that Baku was using Usmanov to "blackmail" it over the case of two French citizens held in Azerbaijan, one of whom Paris has said is being held arbitrarily. Baku has sentenced the French national on espionage charges.

《金融時報》（Financial Times）週一率先報導了此事與亞塞拜然之間的關聯。目前尚不清楚亞塞拜然為何尋求將烏斯馬諾夫從制裁名單中移除，不過總統伊利哈姆・阿利耶夫（Ilham Aliyev）先前曾為將他除名進行遊說。The link to Azerbaijan was first reported by the Financial Times on Monday. It was not clear why Azerbaijan was seeking Usmanov's delisting although President Ilham Aliyev has previously lobbied for his delisting.

外交官表示，法國認為巴庫此舉獲得卡達與哈薩克支持。The diplomats said France believed Baku's move was supported by Qatar and Kazakhstan.

該地區另外數名領導人以及土耳其總統塔伊普・艾爾段（Tayyip Erdogan），先前也曾呼籲將烏斯馬諾夫從歐盟制裁名單中移除。Several other leaders in the region and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, have previously called for Usmanov to be taken off the EU's sanctions list.

亞塞拜然、烏茲別克、哈薩克與卡達外交部未立即回應媒體詢問。The foreign ministries of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Qatar did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

法國外交部發言人拒絕評論與亞塞拜然之間的關聯。France's Foreign ministry spokesperson declined to comment on the Azerbaijan connection.

關係緊張DIFFICULT TIES

亞塞拜然與法國的關係長期緊繃，並在2023年進一步惡化。當時亞塞拜然重新掌控納戈諾－卡拉巴赫（Nagorno-Karabakh）地區，引發當地12萬名亞美尼亞族人出走。巴庫對法國向亞美尼亞提供軍事支持反應憤怒；亞塞拜然與亞美尼亞過去30年間曾爆發兩場戰爭。Ties between Azerbaijan and France have long been strained, and worsened in 2023 when Azerbaijan regained control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in a move that triggered an exodus of 120,000 ethnic Armenians living there. Baku reacted angrily to French military support for Armenia, with which Azerbaijan has fought two wars in the past three decades.

法國指控與亞塞拜然有關聯的團體在過去一年發動假訊息活動，並稱巴庫一直試圖煽動法國太平洋島嶼新喀里多尼亞的暴動與獨立訴求。France has accused Azerbaijan-linked groups of carrying out disinformation campaigns over the last year, and said Baku has been seeking to fan the flames of riots and independence demands in France's Pacific island of New Caledonia.

歐盟制裁名單鎖定近3,000家公司與個人，措施包括資產凍結與旅行禁令，原定於9月15日到期；到期日已延後至9月22日。The EU sanctions designations, which target nearly 3,000 companies and individuals with asset freezes and travel bans, had been due to expire on September 15. The expiry date has been pushed back to September 22.

一名外交官表示，各會員國如今正觀察巴黎將如何在下週前尋求打破僵局，否則可能損及其作為烏克蘭支持者的公信力，以及歐盟制裁程序的可信度。One diplomat said member states were now watching to see how Paris would seek to break the impasse before next week or risk undermining both its credibility as a supporter of Ukraine and the EU's sanctions process.

（Nailia Bagirova、Felix Light與Andrew Mills補充報導，Timothy Heritage編輯）(Additional reporting by Nailia Bagirova, Felix Light and Andrew Mills, Editing by Timothy Heritage)