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French Ambassador to Azerbaijan: â€œToday, chances for solution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict are more than before the Georgian conflictâ€ â€“ EXCLUSIVE

French Ambassador to Azerbaijan: â€œToday, chances for solution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict are more than before the Georgian conflictâ€ â€“ <font color=red>EXCLUSIVE </font>

13 October 2008 10:10 (UTC +04:00)

-What can you say about priorities of France, which chairs European Union at present?

French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that main priority was to continue the ratification of Lisbon Agreement. 22 of EU 27 member countries have ratified the agreement. The Lisbon Agreement will be efficient for EU to function with stable organizations more effectively. Franceâ€™s EU presidency has developed its own programme. The programme covers four big fields. One of them is energy and France is carrying out Energy-Climate Package at present. The essence of the package is to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases, increase the share of renewable energy in its total energy consumption, and improve its energy efficiency. Other three spheres cover reestablishing agricultural policy till 2013, taking necessity of European food security into account, strengthening European defense system and realizing the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum. French diplomacy realized several initiatives before. I cannot talk about these initiatives separately. I can only enumerate achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa, Darfur Peace Agreement, negotiations conducted on crisis of Iranâ€™s nuclear program, discussions on anti-piracy around cape of Africa. But the main priority within six months is, certainly, the situation after war in Georgia. The role of French diplomacy was decisive in stopping military operations and implementation of commitments. EU has established 30-member Observation Mission in Georgia and 50 of them are French. International debates on situation in Georgia should be held in Geneva on October 15, according to one of the initiatives of EU. Existence of stability and security is important in South Caucasus and therefore we have mobilized all our diplomatic energies for restoration of peace. We are active in restoration of Georgia and we conduct negotiations on the issues related to Russia and Europe, as well as in the field of bilateral relations.

-How can Franceâ€™s EU Presidency influence on relations with Azerbaijan?

- Bilateral relations between France and Azerbaijan are not depending on our current presidency in the European Union. These relations are developing normally and will also develop after the EU presidency of France, because France was among the first countries recognizing the independence of Azerbaijan. Regarding the simplification of visa regime in its early presidency France submitted the European Treaty on Immigration and Asylum and it was accepted by 27 member countries. The Treaty aims to determine a balance between the openness for the human exchange (equal development, legal migration and asylum policy suitable to every country) and control over the migration flow. The document is likely to be accepted officially on October 15 in the Council of Europe. Current visa regime for Azerbaijani citizens is liberal: French Embassy rejects approximately 10 per cent of visa applications. We are based on the Schengen Convention in this issue. Liberalization of the visa process is based on the read-mission deals between the sides and cooperation on the border control. France is involved in the process of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict not as the EU president, but as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. Of course, many EU member countries are represented in the Minsk Group and the European Union plays decisive role in the settlement of the conflict from this perspective and will increase its role as the negotiations move on.

-How do you value opportunities for the peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict after the last developments in the region?

-Paradoxically, today, chances for solution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict are more than before the Georgian conflict. So the South Caucasian countries understood their weakness and their dependence on the regional context, as well as unfeasibility of the military way of solution. The Minsk Group initiatives â€“ New York meeting of foreign ministers and planning the meeting of the presidents after October 15 â€“ have more chances to give a result. Every success achieved in the negotiations will be developed with the positive measures for the regional security and welfare.

-Can Turkeyâ€™s meditative role in the region be beneficial for the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict?

-Every initiative directed to the improvement of regional cooperation and security should be welcomed, particularly when these initiatives are supporting the efforts of Minsk Group, which member is Turkey. I would like to remind about the statement France issued within its EU presidency on September 4, 2008. It was noted in this statement that â€œTurkeyâ€™s initiative of the Caucasian Stability and Security Platform causes great interest. This is contribution of Turkey to the stability, security and development in the region and has a new scale in the context of Georgian conflictâ€.

-Mr. Ambassador, does the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict prevent economic cooperation between France and South Caucasian countries, particularly Azerbaijan and Armenia?

-France has good economic relations with both conflict parties. But undoubtedly these relations can be better if the conflict is solved. Due to the solution of the conflict economic cooperation would be much simplified both inside the South Caucasus and between the region and the world. One day there will be a need to invest in the affected regions, rebuild destroyed buildings, restore roads, reestablish economic activity and establish new regional solidarity. No doubt this new dynamics will be favorable both for the whole South Caucasus and the others.

-Do you have plans for extending economic cooperation between France and Azerbaijan?

-Economic partnership between France and Azerbaijan is satisfactory and these relations have large development prospects. France exported goods worth â‚¬100 million to Azerbaijan and this figure is increasing. At the same time we import great deal of oil products from Azerbaijan every year. French companies participate in Azerbaijanâ€™s economic growth. Total is a partner in the Shah Deniz gas development and wants to strengthen its participation. Total has signed a heads of agreement with SOCAR, setting out the main terms of a production sharing agreement (PSA) for a license in the Absheron area. Besides SAIPEM, TECHNIP also works in oil sector and this company implements important programs in establishing oil platforms in Azerbaijan for the development of oilfields in the Caspian Sea. We have sold Airbus and ATR aircrafts and helicopters to Azerbaijan recently. Thales Company supplied Baku airport with surveillance radar in July, 2007, agreements were signed to supply Gandja and Nakhchivan airports with surveillance radars. Our companies are also active in the sphere of environment. The negotiations are on the last level between CNIM Company and the Ministry of Economic Development on the construction of recycling plant in Baku. OTV Company is building water treatment plant in Baku. Moreover, we have a number of economic relations in the field of consumption goods. As regards the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, no French company has invested in this region. As far as I know, no French company is engaged in commercial activity in this region.

-How do you assess the state of human rights in Azerbaijan?

-The reports of the European Union, Council of Europe and particularly of OSCE cover the state of human rights in Azerbaijan. Of course, France being a member of these organizations shares the views in these reports. I would like to mention the recent report on the pre-election situation in the country. The report objectively describes both the governmentâ€™s efforts to improve the situation and the progress needed to comply with the international norms of democratic countries. France supports regular dialogue between the European Union and Azerbaijani Government agencies in the field of human rights and approaches it with responsibility.