Azerbaijan sends note to French FM

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has included three French MPs, who have recently visited Nagorno-Karabakh without permission of the country's relevant structures, to the "black list", Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesman Elman Abdullayev told journalists on Thursday.

"In this regard, Azerbaijani Embassy in France sent a note to the country's Foreign Ministry," Abdullayev said.

He said such visits do not serve to the conflict resolution, on the contrary, complicates this process.

"Azerbaijani Embassy in France also sent a letter of protest to the French Foreign Ministry, which indicates inexpediency of such visits," Abdullayev said.

He said France is co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, and therefore, such steps are unacceptable.

"The French MPs again became victims of the Armenian lobby," he added.
Abdullayev said in response to the note and letter of protest addressed to the French Senate's chairman, Azerbaijani side was told that the visit was private.

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 the 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.


/Trend/