Armenian and French Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Francois Hollande held a meeting at the Elysee Palace today. The two Presidents discussed a wide range of issues on the agenda of Armenian-French cooperation, as well as a number of regional and international issues and challenges.
Serzh Sargsyan thanked President Hollande for France’s role in the Minsk Group co-chairmanship and for the initiative to host Karabakh talks in Paris.
The interlocutors reiterated that the special Armenian-French relations are an evidence of centuries-old friendship between the Armenian and French peoples based on common values.
Serzh Sargsyan and Francois Hollande hailed the fact that economic ties are actively developing and reinforcing parallel to the high-level political dialogue: the volume of French investments in the Armenian economy makes about $1 billion.
President Hollande expressed gratitude to Serzh Sargsyan for Armenia’s participation in international peacekeeping missions, as well as the willingness of the Armenian side to participate in the actions under the auspices of the UN.
Referring to the process of settlement of the Karabakh issue, President Sargsyan stressed that Armenia has always stood for the resolution of the conflict exceptionally through peace talks, and expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and the leaders of co-chairing countries aimed at furthering the negotiation process and establishing peace and stability in the region.
The meeting of the Armenian and French Presidents was followed by negotiations between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
