Mammadyarov met with his French counterpart in Paris

The Azerbaijan-France relations are today at a high level and they are improving with each passing year. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov paid his working visit to France on January 16-18 in order to hold talks on these prosperous bilateral relations. The minister met with his French counterpart and other officials of the country, as well as with the UNESCO leadership.

The working visit started with meeting with Frederique Vidal, French minister of higher education, research and innovation. During the meeting, the ministers expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations in all spheres of cooperation, including education.

The addition of the Azerbaijani language into the curricula of the French National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations, the opening of the Baku French Lyceum, and the expansion of the French language teaching in Azerbaijan were highly appreciated. The ministers also noted the establishment and operation of the Azerbaijani-French University as a successful example of cooperation in education between the two countries.

Mammadyarov emphasized that one of the directions of education cooperation between the two countries is the granting of scholarships to the Azerbaijani citizens by the French government, and that Azerbaijan is interested in the French government's increasing the number of its scholarships. Vidal noted that in 2017, as many as 50 scholarships were granted to Azerbaijan and that student exchange within the ERASMUS program was successfully continued.

Later in the day, the Azerbaijani FM met with Audrey Azoulay, head of UNESCO, where he invited the organization to join the process of monitoring cultural monuments in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia.

“Azerbaijan is sensitive to the issue of preserving the country’s cultural heritage. Armenia deliberately destroys cultural monuments in the occupied Azerbaijani territories”, Mammadyarov said, noting that the OSCE monitoring mission confirms these facts.

Since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and occupation of Azerbaijani territories, the Armenian aggressors destroyed 1,200 historical and architectural monuments, looted 27 museums, while over 100,000 items were exported to Armenia. Moreover, the Armenian occupiers destroyed 152 religious monuments and 62 mosques, 4.6 million books in 927 libraries, including the Holy Quran and rare Islamic manuscripts.

They further underlined the role of UNESCO in the prevention of contemporary threats, as well as threats in international relations. Azoulay noted that she considers UNESCO’s cooperation with Azerbaijan important in the field of intercultural dialogue and stressed the importance of continuing joint activities in this field in future.

Mammadyarov also met with the head of the French Foreign Ministry Jean-Yves Le Drean on January 16. The sides expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations and underlined the importance of high-level visits for further deepening of political ties.

The Azerbaijani FM briefed his colleague on the latest status of the negotiation process on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. France, along with the U.S. and Russia, is a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group established to broker peace to the conflict.

The ministers further expressed their satisfaction with the development of relations between the countries in the economic sphere and stressed the importance of intensifying joint efforts aimed at increasing the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and France. Mammadyarov noted that more than 50 French companies operate in Azerbaijan. He also informed that the Azerbaijani government pays special attention to the development of the non-oil sector.

On the next day, Mammadyarov met with the Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the French Republic Philippe Etienne. During the meeting, the development of humanitarian and economic-trade relations between the two countries was commended.

Mammadyarov also spoke about the transport and energy projects implemented in the region with the initiative and support of Azerbaijan and the fundamental reforms and measures taken to develop non-oil sector in Azerbaijan.

The sides also praised Azerbaijan’s tradition of multiculturalism and its contributions to intercultural and interfaith dialogue.

Later in the day, Mammadyarov met with Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France. The sides highlighted the existence of vast potential for further development of relations between the countries in different spheres.

Touching upon the illicit relations of some towns in France with the illegal regime established by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and entry of agents of puppet regime into the territory of France, Mammadyarov underlined the importance of taking necessary measures by central government of France to prevent such ill actions.

Touching upon the Azerbaijan-European Union relations, the Azerbaijani FM said that negotiations on the strategic partnership document between Azerbaijan and the EU are going on, and the relations develop successfully.

At the end of the meeting, agreements on framework and cooperation in financing and dissertation were signed in the presence of ministers between Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and Montpellier University.

France recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on January 3, 1992. The two countries established their diplomatic relations in February 1992.

Today, French companies are involved in the oil and gas projects in Azerbaijan as subcontractors. At the same time, French companies participate in the non-oil sectors' projects, including the first Azerbaijani telecommunications satellite Azerspace, and a plant for solid waste recycling.

The mutual cooperation between the two countries is expected to bring even more benefits for both Azerbaijan and France in future.