Baku, Paris discuss region, situation in Ukraine
By Vugar Khalilov
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian have discussed regional issues, the ministry reported on March 17.
In a telephone conversation, the ministers reviewed the current situation in the region, as well as the execution of trilateral statements signed between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia following the 44-day war in 2020.
The sides also discussed the five key principles offered by Azerbaijan to normalize relations with Armenia. The French Minister emphasized France's support for Azerbaijan-Armenia rapprochement efforts.
The sides also exchanged views on the current situation around Ukraine.
Furthermore, the sides touched upon the topical issues of the bilateral agenda and other issues of mutual interest.
On March 14, Azerbaijan made public the five basic principles for normalizing relations with Armenia.
For the normalization of relations, Azerbaijan proposes the following principles:
- Mutual recognition of respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognized borders and political independence of each other;
- Mutual confirmation of the absence of territorial claims against each other and acceptance of legally binding obligations not to raise such a claim in future;
- Obligation to refrain in their inter-State relations from undermining the security of each other, from the threat or use of force both against political independence and territorial integrity and in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the UN Charter;
- Delimitation and demarcation of the state border, and establishment of the diplomatic relations;
- Unblocking of the transportation and other communications, building other communications as appropriate, and establishment of cooperation in other fields of mutual interest.
To recap, after submitting fundamental principles to Armenia on the normalization of relations between the two countries, Armenia turned to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs (US, France, Russia) for peace talks.
France also expressed its interest in the demining of Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.
Earlier, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zacharie Gross stated that France is keen to donate € 400,000 (AZN 803,272 or $472,752) to support mine clearance operations in liberated lands.
"Another area where international cooperation is needed is demining so internally displaced people can return to their land. The areas in Karabakh that require demining are huge. So I was happy to officially inform Azerbaijan's ANAMA [Mine Action Agency] that France is keen to donate € 400,000 to demining this year," he wrote on his Twitter account.
---