French President Emmanuel Macron called on Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday, September 26 to initiate negotiations “
without delay
” to achieve a “
lasting peace
”, by receiving the Armenian Prime Minister.
"
The use of force cannot be the solution for Armenia, any more than for Azerbaijan, and dialogue must be restored without delay
," he stressed, alongside Nikol Pashinian, to the press.
“
All of the outstanding issues, and there are many of them, we know, must be dealt with exclusively through negotiation
,” he insisted.
Read alsoIn Armenia, the boom in paramilitary formations
Deadly clashes, killing nearly 300, erupted on September 13 on the border between the two countries, which mutually blame each other for the most violent fighting since the 2020 war for control of the Nagorny Karabakh enclave. .
“
The situation remains very critical on the ground
,” noted President Macron.
"
The territory of Armenia was targeted, civilian infrastructure was destroyed
," he said, calling the situation "
unacceptable
."
"
The fact that the border is not delimited cannot justify advances on the territory of the other country
", he continued, in the direction of Baku.
“
We cannot build peace while raising the threat of the use of force
,” he added, adding that he would also meet “
in the next few hours
” with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
“It does not correspond to reality”
France will see how it can "
contribute, alongside the European Union and the other powers involved, to progress in the interest of a lasting peace
"
,
in particular on the "
delimitation of the border
" between the two countries .
, added Emmanuel Macron.
Nikol Pashinian for his part disputed the lack of delimitation of borders between the two countries.
“
It does not correspond to reality
,” he said.
"
The administrative borders between Soviet Armenia and Soviet Azerbaijan have become state borders since the two countries signed and ratified the agreement establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States
", which brings together several countries of the former -USSR, in 1991, he said.
To read also Nagorno-Karabakh: what is happening (still) in this region under tension for thirty years?
"
It is necessary that the borders recognized bilaterally by the agreement of December 8, 1991 become the basis of negotiations
" between the two countries, insisted the Armenian Prime Minister.
“
The right and security of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians must be guaranteed
,” he also stressed.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/PCKNHDYUOZF4VPN5GXSF2QO3II.jpg)
