FRANCE VOWS TO MOVE AHEAD ON GARABAGH SETTLEMENT

AzerNews Weekly
Dec 3 2008
Azerbaijan

France will do everything in its power to achieve a fairly negotiated
settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict,
President Nicolas Sarkozy has said.

In a letter sent to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Sarkozy wrote
that he was aware of new hope for a settlement following the November
2 meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents and hosted by
Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev.

"This being said, I sense that 2009 is a unique and suitable year,
and this chance should be capitalized upon to reach a solution to
the conflict," the French leader wrote.

Further, Sarkozy indicated that Paris was ready to make its
contribution to settling the long-standing Garabagh dispute. "In
a broader sense, we are keen to provide a variety of assistance in
turning the Caucasus into a region of peace and progress."

Sarkozy welcomed the meeting he held with President Aliyev in
November 2007 and invited the Azerbaijani leader to visit France
next year. "This visit will allow us to explore all aspects of the
relations connecting our countries and work toward deepening them."

Sarkozy stressed that the Eastern Partnership plan proposed by the
European Commission was a good opportunity to draw Azerbaijan closer
to Europe. "France will strive for this new document to be fully in
Azerbaijan`s favor."

France has been chairing the 27-member European Union since July 2008.

Sarkozy added that the meeting of the French-Azerbaijani economic
commission, scheduled to be held in Baku in early 2009, would allow
participants to map out broad prospects for economic and trade
cooperation between the two countries as well as their activities on
the world stage.