French president meets with Armenian prime minister in Paris

By Alaattin Dogru

ANKARA (AA) - French President Emmanuel Macron met Monday with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Paris.

In a joint press statement with Pashinyan at the Elysee Palace, Macron called for negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan to start without delay for a lasting peace.

Macron said he had many phone conversations with Pashinyan in recent days, adding "there are many shelved issues. We know them. They should only be handled through negotiations."

He said the situation on the ground is getting more and more critical, noting that Armenian border areas were targeted and its civilian infrastructure was destroyed.

Announcing that he will hold a phone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Macron said he could discuss the border issue between Azerbaijan and Armenia with the European Union and other relevant countries in order to ensure lasting peace.

Macron said he and Pashinyan also discussed the issue of normalization between Armenia and Türkiye, emphasizing that the normalization of relations is important for the peace in the region.