A conference on “France – OSCE Minsk Group co-chair and forgotten Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict” was held in the French Senate on 8 December.
The event was organized by the Public Union Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh Region of Azerbaijan Republic and Azerbaijani embassy in France.
The fact that over 100 representatives of academic, government and business circles in France, diplomatic mission and mass media attended the event testifies to genuine interest in this country to the problem of the conflict.
The event was opened by Member of the Commission on International Affairs of the French Senate Nathalie Goulet, who acted as moderator of the conference. The Senator thanked the Azerbaijani side for a timely and important initiative to hold this event noting that it was important to give accurate information to general public in France about Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Senator noted that Armenia’s continued occupation of Azerbaijan’s lands was inadmissible telling about her experience of a visit to the conflict zone and numerous meetings with displaced persons affected by the war and scattered throughout the country.
Azerbaijani ambassador to France Elchin Amirbayov updated the conference participants on Azerbaijan’s official stance on resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict noting that that participation of members of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is one of the interested parties to the conflict in accordance with the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Conference, in this event was important.
He noted that while remaining committed to the peace process, Azerbaijan believes the continued status quo in the conflict zone is unacceptable and considers the phased conflict settlement providing for an immediate elimination of consequences of the military phase of the conflict as the only effective way to achieve a lasting, just and comprehensive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The ultimate goal of the negotiating process is not just withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from seven districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, but also restoration of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan Republic in all occupied territories and return of Azerbaijani displaced persons there.
On his part, saying that he would soon complete his seven-year office as French co-chair of the Minsk Group, Ambassador Bernard Fassier elaborated on efforts of his country and other OSCE Minsk co-chairing countries in assisting the parties to the conflict to make progress in difficult negotiations, described the evolution of the negotiating process and the difficulties facing mediators and parties to the conflict in achieving significant progress in the negotiations.
In their addresses to the conference, members of the board of the Public Union Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh Region of Azerbaijan Republic Rovshan Rzayev, Rector of the Azerbaijan State Music Academy, Professor Farhad Badalbayli and political expert, native of Khojaly Anar Usubov stressed it was important to hold similar conferences in various countries to bring to the world accurate information about history and historical consequences of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan.
The speakers said they were ready to build constructive and regular dialogue between Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh to achieve a long-term peace in the region noting that their key objective was to return to their native lands and co-exist together with local Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Chairman of the France-Azerbaijan Friendship Group of the National Assembly of France, MP Jean-Louis Dumont, researcher at the analytical center of the French Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies Pierre Konesa and historian Antoine Constant also made reports to the conference.
In debates following the speeches, the speakers answered a number of questions from the audience about the issue on agenda.
During the conference, editor-in-chief of “Irs-Heritage” magazine Musa Marjanli presented the first issue of the magazine released in the French language recently. The copies of the magazine were distributed among the conference participants.
In a reception that followed the conference, the conference participants viewed the photo exhibition dedicated to Azerbaijani refugees and displaced persons. A concert that featured performance of mugam performers from Karabakh was also organized.
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