FRENCH GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS "PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS" IN NAGORNO KARABAKH

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 19 2007

French Foreign and European Affairs Ministry made a statement on
so-called ‘presidential elections’ held by the separatist regime in
the occupied Azerbaijani territories, French Embassy in Azerbaijan
told APA.

The spokesman for the Ministry said that France does not recognize
Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state.

"In connection with the "presidential elections" held by unrecognized
Nagorno Karabakh government France states that it does not
recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state, like all other
international community. The results of such elections- though,
provide an opportunity to the community de-facto controlling Nagorno
Krabakh to organize,-cannot be recognized as define the status of
the region beforehand."

The statement says that the final status of Nagorno Karabakh can
be determined in the framework of the peaceful solution and basic
principles suggested by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, France, the
US and Russia and only with participation of all conflicting parties
and communities.

"Any one-sided step for determining Nagorno Karabakh’s status is
nothing but obstacle to the negotiations," the statement says.