Azerbaijan, Baku, 14 July / Azerbaijan is hopeful that France will intensify its efforts as a co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"We hope that France will increase efforts to help achieve the soonest possible and just solution to Azerbaijan's conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, sparked as a result of military aggression against our country," President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his congratulatory message on Bastille Day to his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy.
The congratulatory message described the relations between Azerbaijan and France as 'successfully developing'. "The growing friendly relations between our two countries and profitable cooperation in the spheres of mutual interest are the striking example of development of our bilateral relations," the message said.
"We are pleased with France's interest and attention toward our country and its intention to contribute to solving problems that Azerbaijan faces. From this viewpoint, France's intentions to contribute to the deepening of Azerbaijan's relations with European Union during its chairmanship in the organization are of great significance for us," the message said.
The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost the Nagorno-Karabakh, except of Shusha and Khojali, in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian Armed Forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and Nagorno-Karabakh's seven surrounding regions. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful, but fruitless negotiations.
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