BAKU: France Satisfied With Level Of Bilateral Relations With Azerba

FRANCE SATISFIED WITH LEVEL OF BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN
Author: S.Agayeva

TREND, Azerbaijan
Oct 25 2006

Prior to the forthcoming State visit to France in January 2007of the
Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, development of the bilateral
relations is very satisfactory, the French Foreign Minister Flip
Dust-Blazi stated during his meeting with the Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, Trend reports with reference to the
statement of the French Embassy in Azerbaijan.

The French Foreign Minister commented on the successful development
of trade relations. Last year the amount of trade turnover between
the two Countries increased three-fold and reached ~@500,000,000.

According to the Minister, French companies are well represented in
Azerbaijan, and a significant co-operation has begun between the two
Countries regarding civil defense and culture.

Together with the USA and Russia, France is also the Co-chair in the
OSCE Minsk Group regarding the regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. In this respect, the meeting of Foreign Ministers of
Azerbaijan, Armenia and France togetherwith the co-chairs of the Minsk
Group, may lead to progress in the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the Minister stated.