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16 September 2017

By Ilhama Isabalayeva – Trend

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are doing their job properly, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, French minister of state attached to the minister for Europe and foreign affairs, said Sept. 15.

He was commenting on the efforts made by France as an OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing country for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said he met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sept. 15.

At the meeting with the Azerbaijani president, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said France, as an OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing country, is trying to carry out its mediation activity for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne added that in this regard, he is in constant contact with French Ambassador Stephane Visconti. As is known, Visconti represents France in the OSCE Minsk Group, said Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.

He added that it is planned to hold a ministerial meeting within the UN General Assembly in the near future.

A meeting at a higher level may be held in the future, he said, adding that France has always been attentive to this process.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.