- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

France Not Recognizing Independence of Republic of Artsakh, Foreign Ministry Says

© AFP 2023 / LUDOVIC MARINA worker arranges European flags alongside French national flags on the railings outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris (File)
A worker arranges European flags alongside French national flags on the railings outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris (File) - Sputnik International
Subscribe
PARIS (Sputnik) – France is not recognizing the independence of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, which controls a part of Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region, despite the relevant resolution of the national Senate, a spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry said.

The French Senate on Wednesday passed a resolution by an absolute majority of votes calling on the country's government to recognize the Republic of Artsakh. The document, which is advisory in nature, has been hailed both by Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh but faced strong criticism from Azerbaijan.

"During the debates held before the voting [in the Senate], State Secretary for Tourism, the French Abroad and the Francophonie Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne reiterated the French stance on this issue: France is not recognizing the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh,"  the spokesperson said on late Thursday.

Stepanakert city in the morning of November 10, 2020 - Sputnik International
French Envoy Summoned to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Receives Note of Protest Over Karabakh Move
He stressed that as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, France must work towards a political settlement of the conflict, including the discussion of the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the spokesperson, the outcome of these negotiations could not be determined unilaterally in advance.

"Today, we must focus on ensuring the safe return of displaced people, who had to leave their homes within the recent weeks over the conflict. The state secretary also stressed in his address to the Senate that no nations had recognized Nagorno-Karabakh so far," the spokesperson added.

Earlier this month, Yerevan and Baku agreed to a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, putting an end to the six-week war over the disputed area. The agreement resulted in the loss of most territories controlled by the Armenian-dominated Republic of Artsakh and envisions the deployment of 1,960 Russian peacekeepers to the region.

During the decades-long conflict, Armenia has been providing full support to the Republic of Artsakh, but without recognizing its independence.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала