Friday, April 28 2023 14:07

ArmInfo. The obstruction of movement along the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan is unacceptable and is fraught with serious dangers of economic and humanitarian crisis for the population of Nagorno Karabakh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Catherine Colonna said in an interview with Armenpress.

She stressed that this conduct by Azerbaijan also obstructs the peace talks with Armenia. She also expressed concern over the establishment of a checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan.  Colonna said that France will support any solution that would allow to guarantee the Armenian population in Nagorno Karabakh to continue to live there safely, by preserving its history, heritage and culture.  FM Colonna also talked about the Armenian-French relations and addressed her message on the occasion of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

"The obstruction of movement along the Lachin Corridor since 12 December is unacceptable. I've had multiple occasions to express the position of France in this regard. This situation is unacceptable because it is fraught with serious dangers of economic and humanitarian crisis for the population of Nagorno Karabakh. It is also obstructing the continuation of the peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, to which Prime Minister Pashinyan is decisively committed to, and it poses a serious threat to regional stability, which is already deeply impacted by the current geopolitical context.  We must together assess the consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine What we are going through today is the return of war to our continent. However, more fundamentally, this is also a conscious attempt to dispute the fundamental principles of the international order which is based on law, substituting it with the law of strength. This is a crucial moment, which must force each and every one to assess their responsibility and realize that peace is our most precious value.," the French diplomat said.

She also stated that a few weeks ago the International Court of Justice delivered a ruling during a brief hearing, demanding Baku to take all means within its authority to ensure movement along the corridor.  "The ruling is binding for everyone, and it must be respected. In this regard, the decision by Azerbaijan to install a checkpoint at the entrance of the new road in Lachin Corridor is deeply concerning, as noted by the European Union and the United States.  France wants all disputes to be resolved exclusively through negotiations. This is the foundation of France's commitment, next with the EU. And I am visiting Azerbaijan and Armenia this week to make this call to responsibility, resumption of talks and respect for the law to be heard," Colonna added.

Asked to express her attitude towards Baku's assertions that the issue of Artsakh is their "internal affair", the diplomat noted that Paris would like negotiations to begin between the representatives of Nagorno- Karabakh and the Azerbaijani authorities with the support of the international community on the content of the rights and guarantees of the population.

At the same time, she added that favorable conditions should be created for such negotiations, including in restoring free movement through the corridor.

"France will support any solution that would allow to guarantee that the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh can continue to live there safely, by preserving its history, heritage and culture. It is their inalienable right," the diplomat said.

Speaking about bilateral relations, Colonna recalled that they are exceptional and have been formed over a common history, in which there were both happy and especially painful moments. " Today, these relations are developing between both the two governments and civil societies.

France is decisively supporting the efforts by Mr. Pashinyan's government aimed at strengthening democracy and the rule of law in Armenia and developing the economy. The courageous choice of democracy by Armenia must receive support, to which we are committed to together with other members of the international community and the European Union.

In December 2021 we signed an ambitious roadmap for economic cooperation, and recently the Ambitions:  France-Armenia Forum was held in Paris, and we opened an office of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Yerevan. The AFD is engaged in productive dialogue with the authorities of Armenia to implement new projects, particularly in the fields of water and sustainable energy. Last year the volumes of our bilateral trade grew significantly, and we try to continue this trend, including by supporting French companies who want to invest in Armenia, like Veolia, Pernod Ricard, Carrefour and Amundi-Acba.  Regarding defense, the establishment of a defense mission in the French Embassy in Armenia must enable us to deepen bilateral cooperation in this key area as well.

And finally, in the cultural and educational cooperation we want to rely on the huge success of the French University of Armenia, and we are opening the French Institute in Armenia which will allow to create a rich cultural program, at the same time to offer training courses of French language for all levels. The development of our cooperation in La Francophonie, the areas of science, culture, sports and heritage is also noteworthy, which shows the exclusive dynamics of the relations between France and Armenia, to which I am deeply committed to," the French Foreign Minister said.

Speaking about the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Colonna stressed: "On April 24th, like every year, we commemorated the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, which France officially recognized by law on 29 January 2001. This tribute became more solemn since the President of France included it in the list of national commemorative events in 2019.  Commemoration is especially resonant because many French people are descendants of survivors of the genocide whom France took in. However, commemorating the genocide is also a message to humanity for such horrendous events to never happen again in a turbulent period of time, where regrettably conflicts are increasing and many minorities are being threatened.

Regarding Turkey, it is noteworthy that at the initiative of courageous civil society organizations the Armenian Genocide is commemorated there as well, and Turkish academics and historians are working around this topic. We must continue to support the efforts around the world, both by institutional actors and civil society representatives to fight against the denial of the genocide and ponder upon the horrendous lessons of history. Together we can preserve the ability of peoples to live together, which is now endangered," the diplomat concluded.