Italy’s capital city, Rome, hosted a thematic conference titled “National Identity, Resistance, and Sovereignty: Prospects for Corsica” on Tuesday.

Co-organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) and Corsica’s Nazione Movement, the event brought together leaders of the Nazione Movement, members of Italian think tanks, and experts on decolonization.

Also in attendance were Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of BIG, and Tural Ganjaliyev, a member of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis.

The conference aimed to draw global attention to Corsica’s struggle for fundamental rights and sovereignty.

The event began with a minute of silence in memory of Kanaky civilians who were killed by French law enforcement authorities and armed groups backed by them on May 13, 2024.

In his remarks, Abbas Abbasov emphasized BIG’s support for the just struggle of the peoples of Corsica, Kanaky (New Caledonia), and others living under colonial rule, highlighting the organization’s initiatives in this regard. He noted that the BIG views France’s suppression of the Corsican language and culture as a human rights violation and opposes its assimilation policies.

Tural Ganjaliyev spoke about the historical context of Corsica’s occupation and its traditions of statehood, stressing the Corsican people’s legitimate struggle for independence. He said that France’s refusal to grant official status to the Corsican language, coupled with court rulings banning its use, is a deliberate effort to erode Corsican identity. He also extended an invitation to Corsican parliamentarians to visit Azerbaijan and expressed readiness for future cooperation.

Discussions at the conference focused on recognizing Corsica’s national identity and official language, preserving its cultural heritage, ensuring the Corsican people’s right to self-determination, and exploring the prospects for independence in line with relevant mechanisms of the United Nations and other international organizations.

Speakers from the Nazione Movement—including Thierry Casolasco, Jean-Philippe Antolini, François Benedetti, and Chilianu Begliomini—also addressed the event.

The conference concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Baku Initiative Group and Corsica’s Nazione Movement. The parties agreed to collaborate in a joint struggle against colonialism and neocolonialism.