ArmInfo.On December 8, Deputy Speaker of the RA National Assembly Vaye Enfiajyan held a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Armenia Jonathan Lacote.
As reported by the RA National Assembly press service, welcoming the guest, Vaye Enfiajian thanked the French authorities and the friendly French people for their efforts to overcome the post-war situation unleashed by the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem on September 27, as well as in the post-war period and to settle the issue through peaceful negotiations. He stressed that the direct participation of Turkey in hostilities and the participation of mercenaries was a fact, but, unlike France, this reality was not adequately condemned by the civilized world. In this context, Vahe Enfiajyan highly assessed the adoption of the resolution on the recognition of the Artsakh Republic by the two chambers of the French parliament. In turn, the Ambassador noted that this message of solidarity with Armenia is of great political importance. In the process of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the NA Deputy Speaker highlighted the format of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing, emphasizing the key role of France.
Vahe Enfiajyan stated that the issue is often presented as a territorial dispute, but in reality it is a struggle for self-determination, a matter of realization of human rights. Referring to the statement signed on November 9, the Ambassador noted that this did not solve all the problems, and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are called upon to play an important role in this. This format, according to Jonathan Lacote, allows for dialogue with both sides. According to the Ambassador, it is necessary to resume negotiations on issues not included in the trilateral statement: clarification of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the need to ensure the return of displaced persons, giving the Lachin corridor a more stable status, strengthening the new border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The diplomat also touched upon the issue of returning prisoners of war. The parties pointed to centuries-old ties and close cooperation of the two peoples at different levels.