Azerbaijan, Baku, July 24 / Trend /
The French Foreign Minister is confident in the development of economic relations with Azerbaijan, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said at a meeting with Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported.
The meeting was held during the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister's visit to Paris.
Laurent Fabius highlighted Azerbaijani First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva's contribution in the development of cultural relations between the two countries at the meeting and expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijan for supporting the establishment of a French lycée in Baku.
The foreign ministers of the two countries discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, regional security, energy cooperation, as well as the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister informed his counterpart about the negotiation process on the conflict settlement. He stressed that it must be resolved to restore peace and stability in the region.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
