President of the Azerbaijan Republic Heydar Aliyev met the French President Francois Mitterand - December 20, 1993
On December 20, in the evening, the ceremonial parade of President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev was held by the leadership of France in the Elysian Palace. The guard of honour lined up in the yard of the Palace. The ceremonial march sounded, as the caravan of cars with the president of Azerbaijan and accompanying him persons entered the broad square in the yard of Elysian Palace. President of France François Mitterand met president Heydar Aliyev at the Palace stairs. Then the negotiations between the Presidents of both countries started.
The opportunities of cooperation between Azerbaijan and France were discussed thoroughly at the meeting. The war ongoing in Azerbaijan and issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh were largely featured at the negotiations. François Mitterand openly stated that France recognized and supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev informed the President of France on the truth about Azerbaijan. It made the significant changes in the position of François Mitterand about Azerbaijan. They changed views on the prospects of long-term cooperation in economic, cultural and other fields. This historical meeting laid the foundation for the cooperation between Azerbaijan, France and other European countries.
The fact that François Mitterand possesses rich experience and authority among political figures of the world and gives special attention to Azerbaijan caused great interest.
After the negotiations the Presidents entered the Myurat Hall of Elysian Palace. François Mitterand and Heydar Aliyev signed an agreement on friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation between Azerbaijan and France.
Besides, Heydar Aliyev signed a document in conformity with which Azerbaijan joins the Paris Charter for the new Europe - one of the primary documents of OSCE. Then the Presidents made statements before the journalists of France, Azerbaijan and other countries.
Appealing to Heydar Aliyev, President François Mitterand said: "I am pleased to meet You here. Our contacts are infrequent and therefore, Your visit to Paris allows to discuss closely the principal problems.
You have just signed the Paris Charter for the new Europe and we both signed an agreement on friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation between our countries. Having signed the Paris Charter, You have undertaken the commitments in the framework of OSCE and demonstrated Your loyalty to the principles of UNO".
Then the French President said: "You can be confident that France will support You in the restoration of peace, which is so essential for all of us. Our bilateral agreement is a proof of it. This document will be an important stage in the development of French-Azerbaijani relations, as it determines the frames of future bilateral and multilateral cooperation. We mean the cooperation in the field of politics, economy, culture, science and technology, as well as in ensuring security. And it proves our joint efforts to give a wide scale to our hitherto limited contacts".
Continuing his speech, François Mitterand said that France watched with anxiety the expansion of the Karabakh conflict and expressed its regret that the peaceful civilians underwent sufferings there. We help this population and we will increase our help. The French President said they did not admit the forcible alteration of borders, and at the same time, they were not the adherents of the conflict settlement through force. We are the adherents of respect to the independence and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. We proposed to convene an international conference within the frames of OSCE. We call on all the interested parties to evince good will. However, these principles have not been observed until now at the point of contact, where the forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan oppose each other.
Today, the greatest difficulties are observed in the territory of Azerbaijan. I have also told the Armenian leadership about it.
The sympathy can be gained in the international scope based on the law only. We will continue meetings with You and rendering assistance to You. This time, we will rest upon the international principles. These principles are obligatory for all the democratic countries.
In conclusion, François Mitterand said: We are pleased to receive you here. I wish other fruitful for both countries actions to be held henceforth.
Appealing to François Mitterand President Heydar Aliyev said:
"Mr. President, I appreciate You for the invitation to pay a visit to France and I am pleased to sit next to You in this historical and grand palace. I am very satisfied of the talk with You. During this talk, I felt Your warm attitude to Azerbaijan and believed in the frankness of Your will to help our republic to get out of this crisis. I appreciate You for Your promise to make efforts. I have signed the Paris Charter together with You with great pleasure. Thereby, Azerbaijan demonstrates its adherence to security and peace.
The agreement on friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation we just signed together with You is a new stage in the international contacts of Azerbaijan. The foundation for lasting cooperation between Azerbaijan and France has been laid in the Elysian Palace. It is an important historical event for Azerbaijan that gained its independence just two years ago.
Then Heydar Aliye stated that the cooperation with such a great and ancient country as France, which has enriched the world civilization with cultural values, and which is able to influence actively the international politics, is of great significance for us. France, which displays democracy, humanism and peacefulness, is an important partner for us. We are pleased that we have signed this treaty with You and we rely on its realization, efficiency and practical results.
The Azerbaijani President said: "I have perceived with deep satisfaction Your anxiety concerning the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, as well as Your statement on the primacy of law and inviolability and safety of borders of every state. I would hope that making use of Your personal authority and the authority of France, You will prevent the aggression of the Armenian armed groups against Azerbaijan and establish peace in our region. We carry on constructive policy and hope for the efficient help on Your part. You can be sure that France gains a reliable partner in the person of Azerbaijan for many long years. We will be always loyal to the principles of peace and safety, respect to human rights and principles of democracy and pluralism. While building a young independent state, we will certainly apply the rich experience of France on statehood and democracy.
Mr. President, we are looking forward to Your visit to Azerbaijan. I hope the development of our contacts will promote the expansion of mutual cooperation between our countries, which will bring great welfare to the Azerbaijan people. I express You my gratitude for the great attention You pay to our republic and our people.