BAKU: French Embassy In Azerbaijan: France Prefers Neutrality In Its

FRENCH EMBASSY IN AZERBAIJAN: FRANCE PREFERS NEUTRALITY IN ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA

Today
Feb 17 2010
Azerbaijan

The embassy of France in Azerbaijan has issued a statement on military
cooperation agreement signed between France and Armenia recently.

"On Feb. 10, 2010, Defense Ministers of France and Armenia signed a
technical agreement on cooperation in the field of defense in Paris.

The text of the agreement, which has common content, covers issues
of administrative cooperation between the defense ministries," the
embassy said in a statement.

"The agreement is about the defense and security agreements, as well as
organizing of armed forces (democratic control over the armed forces,
organizing command, administration and staff management, military and
language education, public relations, lawmaking, military history,
military court, military health care)," the statement said.

"The agreement specifically showed that it has no classified exchange
of information and materials. The agreement aims to specify content
of consultations between the defense ministries of both countries."

"France prefers neutrality in its relationship with Azerbaijan and
Armenia in accordance with its position of co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and this
agreement doesn’t overshadow the neutrality. Just in the essence of
this neutrality, France proposes Azerbaijan to sign similar agreement.

The government of Azerbaijan has not responded top France’s proposal
yet", it said in a statement.