FRENCH EMBASSY’S ADVISOR HOPES THAT NEW FRENCH PARLIAMENT WILL NOT ADOPT LAW PENALIZING DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
TREND News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 13 2007
Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend S.Agayeva / "I hope that the new
Parliament of France will not adopt the law penalizing denial of
the so-called ‘Armenian genocide’," said the Head Advisor of the
Ambassador of France, Syivain Guiaugue.
According to the diplomat, formerly the Low Chamber of the French
Parliament, the National Assembly approved the draft law penalizing
the denial of the Armenian genocide even though it was committed in
the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1917. The ex-President of France, Jacque
Chirac and Senate protested against the adoption of such a law,
saying that it may bring harm upon the relations with Turkey.
Guiaugue expressed that the new Parliament of France faces more
significant goals and targets, including the strengthening of the
bilateral relations, improvement of the legislation, etc.
Touching upon the future policy of the new French President,
Nokolai Sarkozi, with regards to Azerbaijan, the diplomat stated
that "the attitude of France towards Baku will remain the same and I
hope that they will be successive". "We expect the expansion of the
co-operation with Azerbaijan in many spheres after the formation of
the new Government of France," According to Guiaugue, it is planned to
organize mutual visits from the senior officials of the two countries.
In relation to the question on the supposed official visit of the
French President, Nokolai Sarkozi, to Azerbaijan, the advisor said
that currently this issue is not being discussed. "Nokolai Sarkozi
has recently begun his activities and the first communication of the
Presidents of Azerbaijan and France is to be expected. Till then,
it will be impossible to speak of the visit," he said. In regards
to the position of the new French President to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement, the diplomat said that France will continue its
efforts to settle the conflict.
According to Guiaugue, the French Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group
informed the new French President of the history and settlement
process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "Our position is that the
co-chairs are only mediators, but settling the conflict depends on
the sides themselves," the diplomat underlined.