France’s top diplomat expected in South Caucasus in April 26-28

PanARMENIAN.Net - France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna will pay a visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia from 26 to 28 April.

According to a statement from her office, the diplomat is expected to “signal France’s commitment to supporting the negotiations between the two countries for a fair, lasting peace which respects territorial integrity and the principles of international law.”

She will also call for the rights of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh to be guaranteed and for the immediate restoration of traffic along the Lachin corridor.

Azerbaijani authorities on Sunday set up a checkpoint on the only road connecting the Karabakh with Armenia. Baku also maintained that they have informed the command of the Russian peacekeepers and the Russian-Turkish monitoring center about the installment of the checkpoint.

In Baku, the Minister will be received by President Ilham Aliyev and speak to her counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov.

In Yerevan, the Minister will be received by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and speak to her counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan. She will visit the European Union observation mission headquarters in Jermuk and pay her respects at the memorial to the Armenian Genocide, whose 108th anniversary was commemorated on April 24.

The Minister will also go to Georgia on 28 April. During her discussions with President Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, she will signal her support for reforms concerning the rule of law and protection of the civic space, which are essential for continuing to bring the country closer to the European Union.