TODAY.AZ / Politics

Azerbaijani, French FMs consider regional security, co-op

12 November 2021 [12:31] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian have discussed bilateral cooperation and regional security, the Foreign Ministry reported on November 11.

Bayramov met Le Drian as a part of his working visit to Paris on November 10 to attend the UNESCO General Conference, the report added.

The ministers discussed the expansion of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of economics and education, and showed mutual interest in this area.

Bayramov briefed Le Drian on the present regional situation, Azerbaijan's post-war position, and the implementation of trilateral statements and unilateral actions made by Azerbaijan in this regard.

He also informed his French counterpart about Azerbaijan's humanitarian engagement with key international organizations, such as UNESCO.

In turn, Le Drian said that France was interested in developing relations with Azerbaijan.

The French minister expressed his country’s willingness to support Azerbaijan in its demining efforts, as well as to work with the Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) in this sphere.

He mentioned that the search for missing persons from the First Karabakh War is crucial for France. Le Drian also emphasized the significance of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, noting that the OSCE Minsk Group may be a useful format in this regard.

The sides also discussed other issues of mutual interest at the meeting.

Earlier, the head of Azerbaijan’s Mine Action Agency, Vugar Suleymanov, and French ambassador Zacharie Gross have discussed France's contribution to demining operations on territories liberated from Armenia's occupation in the last year's war.

The meeting focused on humanitarian demining operations carried out by the agency, France's financial assistance in Azerbaijan's demining activities, and the issues requiring support in this area.

In the near future, a document is envisaged to be signed between the parties covering areas such as support for demining operations, assistance to persons who suffered from mines and the implementation of projects to raise awareness of dangers from explosives.

Gross also noted that France is keen to donate € 400,000 (AZN 803,272 or $472,752) to support mine clearance operations in liberated lands.

"Another area where international cooperation is needed is demining so internally displaced people can return to their land. The areas in Karabakh that require demining are huge. So I was happy to officially inform Azerbaijan's ANAMA [Mine Action Agency] that France is keen to donate € 400,000 to demining this year," he wrote on his Twitter account on September 8.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/212089.html

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