Gabriel Keller: "France supports peaceful and fair solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict"

Azeri Press Agency
July 17 2008
Azerbaijan

"Azerbaijan is very interesting and politically important country
for France", Gabriel Keller, ambassador of France to Azerbaijan told
journalists on Thursday, APA reports.

The diplomat said his country saw Azerbaijan as a very important
country in its foreign policy and noted that Azerbaijan was important
from the perspective of EU energy security. The ambassador said
France supported peaceful and fair solution to Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. He spoke with pleasure about the meeting of Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents in St. Petersburg and said that the negotiations
were going on the basis of Madrid proposals and the presidents gave
consent to that. Speaking about the reasons of France’s voting
against the UN resolution on occupied territories of Azerbaijan,
the diplomat said OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs demonstrated a unified
position on any issue. "It doesn’t mean that we don’t agree with the
points of resolution, it means that there is irregularity between that
document and Madrid proposals. The resolution can’t push the parts
forward because it doesn’t contain all elements of negotiations". The
ambassador expressed opinion on the recognition of false "Armenian
genocide" by French parliament and said that it was not position
of French government. "The government of France considers that not
parliamentarians, but historians should research the historical
events". The ambassador said he didn’t see mass grave found in Guba
Region because he arrived in Baku newly. The newly-appointed ambassador
said he intended to visit all regions of Azerbaijan. Ambassador Keller
said all EU countries would closely watch the presidential elections
in Azerbaijan in autumn. He expressed opinion about Nabucco project,
which is important for European energy security. "Azerbaijan wants
France, as a chair of European Union, to achieve consent of all member
countries to this project. It is not easy to achieve agreement of
all 27 member countries. The world needs in energy resources. We
are energy consumers and energy producers are like a young girl,
who makes choice among several fiancés. Each fiancé should make
useful proposal to win her heart. We will make profitable proposal for
transportation of Azerbaijani and Asian gas to Europe. Our argument
will be a suitable proposal for both sides".

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress