Azernews.Az

By Sabina Mammadli

French ambassador Zacharie Gross has said that Paris will devote attention to cooperation with Baku as part of projects implemented on Azerbaijan's liberated territories after the 44-day war with Armenia.

He made the remarks in his New Year’s congratulations posted on his official Twitter account.

Touching upon the propaganda of peace, security and progress in the South Caucasus, the ambassador expressed confidence that in 2022 the French president will continue to make efforts in this direction.

“In 2022, France will pay attention to the development of cooperation, including demining of lands, assistance in the identification of missing people during the First Karabakh war, the implementation of a regional development project in Aghdam, and renewal of water and energy networks,” he said.

The French diplomat noted that 2022 promises better prospects for Azerbaijan in comparison to 2021. According to him, the prospect of a possible peace with Armenia has never been as convincing, a project is being concretized to return people to their homelands, oil and gas prices are acceptable for the country, Baku's relations with large neighbors and main foreign partners are generally positive.

The ambassador noted that Azerbaijan has established itself as one of the most secular states of the Muslim world.

Gross also said that the ties between the European Union and Azerbaijan have strengthened even more over the past year. He noted that 27 states of the European Union offer Azerbaijan deeper cooperation with specific commitments to establish regional ties, sustainable development, and diversification of the economy. This cooperation can and should serve Europe and the Republic of Azerbaijan, which both face great international challenges.

The French ambassador stressed that Azerbaijan restored its economy, which had fallen into decay after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and now has the resources to build a more inclusive and democratic society. He said that Azerbaijan has the potential to become a guarantor of regional and international security by protecting biodiversity and promoting women's rights through the implementation of the initiative to sign a peace treaty with Armenia, joining efforts in the fight against climate change and coronavirus.

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