French Embassy in Azerbaijan: It`s time to put aside nationalist  rhetoric and historical disputes

ArmInfo.Azerbaijan's release of eight Armenian soldiers and their transfer to Yerevan by French government aircraft on February 7 is good news in the tense  security context we are currently experiencing in Europe. This is  stated in the statement of the French Embassy in Azerbaijan.

At the same time, the diplomatic mission expressed their conviction  that it was with such a gesture of goodwill on both sides that it  would be possible to move towards peace between Azerbaijan and  Armenia.

It is noted that this release is the result of dialogue, diplomacy  and efforts to reduce tensions initiated by President Ilham Aliyev  and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, with the support of French  President Emmanuel Macron and President of the Council of the  European Union Charles Michel. It follows an online meeting of the  four leaders on February 4th.

"France highly appreciates this gesture on the part of Azerbaijan.  This release is timely and necessary, since the transition from war  to "post-conflict" and from "post-conflict" to "peace negotiations"  will require strong political will and gestures of appeasement in  areas such as reducing tensions in border, delimitation and  demarcation of the latter and the opening of channels of  communication between Azerbaijan and Armenia," the French Embassy in  Azerbaijan said in a statement.

At the same time, it is stated that the transition to the peace  process will also mean other successes in the humanitarian sector.   "After decades of conflict, there is a real need to restore trust  among the population and ease the pain of families, in particular by  allowing detainees to find their loved ones, identifying the remains  of the missing, providing assistance to mine victims and by ensuring  mine clearance in the field.

It is for this reason that, as in the past year, France will continue  to work in 2022 with the parties, and in particular with Azerbaijan,  to assist in the search for missing persons with the help of the  International Committee of the Red Cross.

Also for this reason, France offered to cooperate with ANAMA in terms  of demining and providing assistance to mine victims.

The European Union, born out of a peace project and with long and  significant experience in border management and regional development,  is also ready to support Azerbaijan and Armenia.  It is time to put  aside nationalist rhetoric and historical disputes. For a decisive  entry into the path of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the  participation of all people of good will, old and young, will be  required," the French diplomatic mission summed up.