Second official visit to France
by Jahan Aliyeva (Sun Staff Writer)
Baku Sun, Azerbaijan
Sept 10 2004
French President Jacques Chirac, right,
talks with his Azerbaijan’s counterpart
Ilham Aliyev at the start of their
meeting at the Elysee palace in Paris,
Tuesday. Aliyev started Tuesday
a three-day working visit to France
to discuss bilateral relations, the development
of economic cooperation and the attraction
of French investments. (AP)
Baku — On September 8, President Ilham Aliyev met with his French
counterpart, Jacques Chirac during the Azerbaijan leader’s second
official visit to France since becoming inaugurated in October last
year.
The two presidents discussed international issues, their perspectives
on bilateral economical relations, as well as the increase in the
investment of French companies to Azerbaijan’s economy.
During the meeting, Chirac stressed that the relationship between
both nations are at an “excellent” level, Turan news agency reported.
Chirac added that, “France places third in Azerbaijan’s foreign
trade.”
The presidents also discussed the Nagorno (Dagligh) Karabakh
conflict. Chirac stated that Paris supports the continuation of
negotiations on a peaceful settlement to the conflict, Turan
reported.
“As co-chairman of the Minsk group of OSCE, France will do its best
towards settling this issue,” Chirac said. Meanwhile, in Azerbaijan,
observers made different comments about the effects of France’s
visits to Nagorno (Dagligh) Karabakh and the peace talks.
Novruz Mammadov, head of the International Relations department of
the Presidential Apparatus in Azerbaijan said in light of the
upcoming meeting between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in
Astana, Kazakhstan, this current meeting with Chirac has substantial
significance.
“Negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia are becoming intensive,”
Mammadov told journalists last week.
However, Col. Sulhaddin Akbar, the former deputy minister of the
National Security Ministry, thinks that there will be no development
regarding the Nagorno (Dagligh) Karabakh settlement in the near
future.
“I think the political approach in this conflict should be completely
changed,” Akbar told Baku Sun.
Akbar stressed that, after the Iraq crisis, the United States has
cold relations with the member nations of the European Union and
Russia. By visiting European countries, the Azerbaijani government is
trying to benefit from this situation.
“Since Ilham Aliyev became the president, he has visited France,
Russia, Germany, and now again he is in France. He has still not been
invited to the United States. So, by visiting the European countries,
he wants to compensate this on one hand, but on the other hand to
pressure the U.S. in some way,” said Akbar.
Within his visit to France, Ilham Aliyev met with the French co-chair
at the OSCE’s Minsk Group, Henry Jacqueline, and Christian Ponsle,
chairman of French Senate. He also attended an exhibition of
Azerbaijani artists at the French Senate.
During the visit to France, Azerbaijan’s First Lady, Mehriban Aliyeva
accompanied her husband where UNESCO’s Director-General Koichiro
Matsuura appointed Aliyeva as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for
Folklore and Musical Traditions for her “actions to promote
traditional music, literature and poetry, her role in the promotion
of musical education and international cultural exchanges, and her
dedication to the Organization’s ideals.”
Aliyeva is a chairperson of the cultural foundation “Friends of
Azerbaijan”.
In the role as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Aliyeva will support the
Organization’s activities for the safeguarding of cultural heritage.
Caballe Montserrat, Pierre Cardin, Princess of Hannover, Pele Edson
Arantes are among the Goodwill Ambassadors.
Azerbaijan has been a member of UNESCO since 1992.