France Hails Armenia-Azerbaijan Deal to Normalize Ties

(MENAFN) France on Saturday hailed a new peace initiative between Armenia and Azerbaijan, calling a trilateral agreement signed in Washington under U.S. President Donald Trump a significant move toward ending decades of hostilities in the South Caucasus.

“France welcomes today’s announcement by Washington, under the aegis of (US) President (Donald) Trump, of an agreement between President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan with a view to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the French Foreign Ministry said in an official statement.

The ministry described the breakthrough as a “major step forward” and urged both parties to sign and ratify a formal peace treaty without delay to finalize the reconciliation process.

As part of its backing, Paris endorsed the dismantling of the OSCE Minsk Group, the long-standing diplomatic mechanism co-chaired by France, which previously sought resolution over Karabakh — a region that was recently rightfully restored to Azerbaijan, the ministry noted.

“With a view to this, France supports the parties’ joint call for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group structures,” the statement added.

The ministry expressed hope that the deal would transform the region into an “area of peace and prosperity, benefitting the people of the region.”

“Alongside its European partners, France will continue to work actively to this end, including as part of the European Political Community,” it stated.

The accord was formally signed on Friday at the White House by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and President Trump during a trilateral summit.

Designed to put an end to one of the post-Soviet world's most enduring conflicts, the agreement commits both sides to halting military engagements, reopening cross-border transit, and restoring diplomatic ties.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have clashed repeatedly since the late 1980s, most recently in 2023, when Azerbaijan regained full control of Karabakh through military operations.

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