Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 1
By Ali Mustafayev – Trend:
Azerbaijan is the biggest partner of France in the South Caucasus, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Aurelia Bouchez said at the Caspian Platform event dedicated to NATO and France in Baku Dec. 1.
Bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and France are very rich and cover all spheres of cooperation, including political, economic and cultural, Bouchez said.
Meetings of heads of state are held every year, she noted, adding that delegations of the two countries’ foreign ministries meet even more often.
France welcomes the steps taken by Azerbaijan to preserve peace in the region, she said.
Speaking about peace and security in the region, the ambassador noted that France, being a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, is working on a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Economic relations between the two countries are also growing rapidly, the ambassador noted, adding that up to 50 French companies are operating in Azerbaijan. France’s Alstom, for example, produces locomotives for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, she said.
Bouchez stressed that France highly appreciates the steps taken by Azerbaijan to diversify its economy.
The French ambassador also mentioned cooperation in tourism between Azerbaijan and France and noted that the cooperation is at a very high level.
There are French hotels operating in Azerbaijan and the number of tourists is growing, she said.
Talking about the main areas of bilateral cooperation, Bouchez focused on education. The French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ) as well as Baku French Lyceum successfully operate in Azerbaijan, she noted, adding that such educational projects will allow Azerbaijani students to become specialists in demand in certain spheres without leaving the country.