France and Russia intend to continue to cooperate closely to resolve the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy at a joint press conference following talks with Russia's leader Dmitry Medvedev, RIA Novosti reported.
"Russia and France will work together in order to help Armenia and Azerbaijan to work together and understand each other", Sarkozy said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.