ArmInfo. The French parliamentarians upon arriving in Armenia visited to "Tsitsernakaberd" Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
As the press service of the French Embassy in Armenia told ArmInfo, the delegation headed by the Head of the France-Armenia parliamentary friendship group, accompanied by the Ambassador of France to our country, Jonathan Lacote, visited Tsitserankaberd, laid flowers at the eternal flame and paid tribute to the memory of the holy martyrs.
French MP of Armenian descent Guillaume Kasbarian said in an interview with reporters that upon returning to France they will continue efforts to recognize the independence of Artsakh, but today the priority issue is the cessation of hostilities, an end to bloodshed and a return to peace negotiations. He also added that the visit of a rather large delegation to Yerevan is intended to once again demonstrate France's support for Armenia and Artsakh.
As ArmInfo previously reported, 15 French parliamentarians will be in Armenia and Artsakh from October 24 to Oct. 27. The purpose of the visit is to express support for Armenia, with which France has special relations, and to draw the attention of the international community to what is happening in Artsakh.
To note,Azerbaijan has already reacted to this visit. Advisor to the president of Azerbaijan, Hikmet Hajiyev, assessed this step as "inconsistent with France's mediating role in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." "The visit of the French parliamentary delegation to Armenia is one-sided and biased. France is the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. The co-chair countries must ensure the neutrality and impartiality of the mediation mission. This visit calls into question the neutrality of France as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group," said in the statement of Hikmet Hajiyev, head of the foreign policy department of the presidential administration of Azerbaijan.