France says there can be no military solution to Karabakh conflict

France says there can be no military solution to Karabakh conflict

France, as a co-chair of the Minsk Group condemns the use of force in Nagorno-Karabakh and calls on all parties to the greatest restraint, reads the statement issued by French foreign ministry.

“We have noted with concern the recent incidents occurred on the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh, which resulted loss of human lives. Only the negotiations will lead to a political solution balanced and negotiated settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh.

There can be no military solution to this conflict.  France, with its partners the U.S. and Russia also co-chairs of the Minsk Group reaffirms its strongest determination to support the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to the principles outlined by the presidents Sarkozy, Obama and Medvedev in Muskoka in 2010 and L’Aquila in 2009,to help achieve a balanced political solution and negotiated to the Nagorno-Karabakh on the basis of the principles and norms of international law, the UN Charter, and an appropriate combination of the principles of the Helsinki Final Act non-use of force or its threat, territorial integrity and equal rights of peoples and self-determination,” the statement says.

Real threat of war in Nagorno-Karabakh, French FM says

Nagorno-Karabakh, against its population`s will, was made part of Armenia by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union collapsed, Nagorno- Karabakh gained freedom at the cost of great suffering, stated Francois Rochebloine, a member of the France-Armenia friendship group, Azatutyun (Liberty) radio, reports. However, he stressed, the OSCE Minsk Group denies Nagorno-Karabakh the right to participate in the peace process.The French MP believes that Nagorno-Karabakh`s status must be based on peoples` right to self-determination. Francois Rochebloine pointed out that Nagorno-Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan visited the National Assembly of France to inform the French MPs of what he expects of France in the context of Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. The French MP stressed that a threat of war remains, pointing out regular violations of ceasefire on the line of contact. Alain Juppe, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of France, gave assurances that France is making consistent efforts aimed at a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by means of negotiations. The negotiation format has been evolving in the course of time, Minister Alain Juppe said. The Nagorno-Karabakh authorities are actually not participating in the negotiations as no state has recognized the self-proclaimed independence. The French Foreign Minister pointed out that the French, U.S. and Russian Presidents, at the G8 Summits in Muskoka and L`Aquila, pointed out the basic principles the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be based on. He pointed out the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders` readiness to conduct negotiations on the basis of the principles during the OSCE Summit in Astana, as well as at the preceding meeting in Astrakhan. Minister Alain Juppй believes the Armenian-Azerbaijani-Russian presidential meeting in Sochi, March 5, was a constructive one for accepting the basic principles of a peaceful settlement prepared by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. No doubt, peoples` right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of settling any conflict, the French FM said.