Azerbaijani, French FMs mull Karabakh peace deal, ties

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian have discussed the latest regional situation and the implementation of the November 10 Karabakh peace deal, the Foreign Ministry reported on January 22.

In a telephone conversation that took place on January 21, the two ministers exchanged views on the current state of Azerbaijani-French relations and the importance of continuing the dialogue in the area of developing ties. Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed at the meeting, the ministry added.

It should be noted that during the 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan that continued between September 27 and November 10, French President Emmanuel Macron and some French circles failed to demonstrate a neutral position, despite the fact that France is a co-chair in the OSCE Minsk Group mediating talks between Baku and Yerevan to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

In contradiction to the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, only the interests of Armenia were protected and an inadequate position, which did not meet the requirements of a balanced and a fair co-chairmanship, was displayed. This stance was several times criticized by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and some other senior officials.

A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10 brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.

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