Baku remonstrates to French government over illegal city deal
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
Azerbaijani Embassy in France expressed its dissatisfaction to the French government in regard to the signing of a friendship agreement between the French city of Bouc-Bel-Air and Azerbaijani city Khankenhdi, which is under occupation of Armenia.
Acting Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev said France was the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and recognized Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
"Unfortunately, several circles in this country attempt to harm relations, being under the influence of numerous Armenian disapora organizations," Hajiyev noted.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. Armenia continues the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.
Peace talks brokered by mediators from Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.