Sarkozy, Aliyev Discusses Energy, Karabakh

SARKOZY, ALIYEV DISCUSSES ENERGY, KARABAKH

Asbarez
Dec 10th, 2009

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

PARIS (Hurriyet)-French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday for talks that focused on economic
relations and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Anatolian News
Agency reported.

In a written statement, the French presidency said the leaders
had agreed to expand bilateral relations and trade volume between
the two countries and expressed their wish to develop a "strategic
partnership."

France said it wants to develop economic relations with Azerbaijan,
including those in the field of energy, such as oil and natural gas.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was also discussed, according to the
Turkish Hurriyet Daily but the French presidency’s statement refrained
from giving any details about what Aliyev and Sarkozy discussed on
this issue.

France is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE) and co-chairs, alongside Russia and the US, its
Minsk Group, which is mediating a resolution to the conflict.