Paris Seeks to Act as Mediator in Nagorno-Karabakh Settlement

Kavkaz expert and editor of the Regnum news agency Stanislav Tarasov discussed the meeting between French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts.

The political scientist emphasized that France is one of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and that it is only now, a year after the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, that direct communication has occurred at the level of foreign ministers.

Moreover, Le Drian indicated the willingness to support the activation of dialogue between the parties, for the sake of establishing lasting peace in the South Caucasus.

This was the second meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan since the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, organized under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. The first had taken place during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Tarasov also noted another important aspect: Le Drian, while commenting on the outcomes of the meeting with his counterparts, stated that they continue their efforts to establish stable peace, reiterating what he had said earlier in Paris.

The three-sided statement of November 9, 2020, is viewed by Paris as a document of intermediate significance, and currently, the focus is on efforts aimed at preparing a “long-term sustainable agreement” under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group.