French President Emmanuel Macron has reiterated support for the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process in a phone call with President Ilham Aliyev.

“I spoke with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev,” Macron said on X. “I reminded him of France’s support for the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the importance of its further advancement. We also discussed regional issues and the prospects for the development of our bilateral relations.”

Aliyev also commented on the phone call, saying: “Today, I received a phone call from President Emmanuel Macron. During the phone conversation, we reviewed issues on the agenda of Azerbaijan–France bilateral relations and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest. We also discussed regional and global developments.”

On May 4, during a press briefing in Yerevan, the President of France said that he would raise the issue of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan with President Ilham Aliyev. Currently, 19 Armenian prisoners continue to be held unlawfully in Azerbaijan, including representatives of the former leadership of Karabakh. They have been sentenced to imprisonment on fabricated charges.