News - France FM: Azerbaijan must show commitment to peace agenda with Armenia before COP29

France promotes the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan as soon as possible, based on respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, which will bring peace and stability to the region. This was announced by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Stephane Sejourne at the press conference held in Yerevan on Monday morning. "This is the meaning of the Almaty Declaration [of 1991]. The same idea was presented in Prague in 2022," said the French FM, adding that this is especially important now, when "Russia is violating all important principles in Ukraine." The French official emphasized that Paris contributes to the process of border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which should be based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both countries. "The South Caucasus should become a region of peace and cooperation, this will give an opportunity to expand trade and bring prosperity to Armenia. Armenia wants peace, France wants peace, the international community also wants peace. Azerbaijan will soon host the COP29 [UN Climate Change Conference], Baku must show before that that it also strives for peace," stressed Sejourne. Also, the French FM noted that the EU monitoring mission in Armenia needs to continue, and reminded that the Armenian prime minister’s office has proposed to introduce a mechanism to investigate the reports of the incidents that occur at the border with Azerbaijan. To note, the Azerbaijani side has not yet responded to this proposal from Yerevan.