Armenia May Always Count On France’s Support: Nicolas Sarkozy
07.10.2011,
20:36
Armenia knows well that it can always count on France’s political support, French president Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday in Yerevan.
YEREVAN, October 7. / ARKA /. Armenia knows well that it can always count on France’s political support, French president Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday in Yerevan.
"This visit to Armenia is very important for me because Armenia is located in a strategically important, but volatile geopolitical area," he said at a joint news conference with Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan.
Sarkozy said that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is in the interest of both countries and the regional stability. He noted the need to continue dialogue with Turkey, because no closed borders should exist in the 21st century, and expressed willingness to assist the peace efforts.
In 2009 October Armenian and Turkey signed two protocols in Zurich. They committed the two neighboring nations to establish diplomatic relation and open the Turkish-Armenian border which Ankara closed in 1993 in a show of support for Azerbaijan. The Turkish government has repeatedly made clear that it will not ensure the protocols' ratification by Turkey's parliament before a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict acceptable to Baku.
Yerevan rejects this linkage, saying that it contradicts the letter and the spirit of the agreements. Citing the Turkish precondition, President Serzh Sargsyan suspended the process of Armenian parliamentary ratification of the protocols in April 2009. Later Turkey removed the protocols from its parliament agenda but earlier this year brought them back.
Speaking at today’s news conference president Sargsyan said that the mutual visits of Armenian and French presidents revealed mutual desire to continue the active dialogue. He said the high-level dialogue is effectively developing, He also mentioned close cultural and educational links, involvement of French companies in the Armenian economy and successful co-operation of local governments.
Sargsyan also praised France's role as a co-chair of еру OSCE Minsk Group, and its successive steps towards a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh problem.
"In Armenia we attach special importance to personal contribution of French president to this process, evidenced by the meeting in L'Aquila, Muskoka and Deauville within G-8 summits, chaired by France. France’s fair and balanced position is perceived by Armenian public as an important message to the establishment of lasting peace and regional cooperation", he said.
Karabakh, populated overwhelmingly by ethnic Armenians, broke away from Azerbaijan following a three-year war that left some 30,000 dead. A Russia-brokered ceasefire ended the hostilities in 1994, but peace has remained fragile since then. The current Minsk Group-mediated negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have not brought a peace agreement yet. –0—
"This visit to Armenia is very important for me because Armenia is located in a strategically important, but volatile geopolitical area," he said at a joint news conference with Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan.
Sarkozy said that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is in the interest of both countries and the regional stability. He noted the need to continue dialogue with Turkey, because no closed borders should exist in the 21st century, and expressed willingness to assist the peace efforts.
In 2009 October Armenian and Turkey signed two protocols in Zurich. They committed the two neighboring nations to establish diplomatic relation and open the Turkish-Armenian border which Ankara closed in 1993 in a show of support for Azerbaijan. The Turkish government has repeatedly made clear that it will not ensure the protocols' ratification by Turkey's parliament before a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict acceptable to Baku.
Yerevan rejects this linkage, saying that it contradicts the letter and the spirit of the agreements. Citing the Turkish precondition, President Serzh Sargsyan suspended the process of Armenian parliamentary ratification of the protocols in April 2009. Later Turkey removed the protocols from its parliament agenda but earlier this year brought them back.
Speaking at today’s news conference president Sargsyan said that the mutual visits of Armenian and French presidents revealed mutual desire to continue the active dialogue. He said the high-level dialogue is effectively developing, He also mentioned close cultural and educational links, involvement of French companies in the Armenian economy and successful co-operation of local governments.
Sargsyan also praised France's role as a co-chair of еру OSCE Minsk Group, and its successive steps towards a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh problem.
"In Armenia we attach special importance to personal contribution of French president to this process, evidenced by the meeting in L'Aquila, Muskoka and Deauville within G-8 summits, chaired by France. France’s fair and balanced position is perceived by Armenian public as an important message to the establishment of lasting peace and regional cooperation", he said.
Karabakh, populated overwhelmingly by ethnic Armenians, broke away from Azerbaijan following a three-year war that left some 30,000 dead. A Russia-brokered ceasefire ended the hostilities in 1994, but peace has remained fragile since then. The current Minsk Group-mediated negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have not brought a peace agreement yet. –0—
