YEREVAN. – President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Monday received Harlem Désir, the French Minister of State for European Affairs.

The Presidential Press Office informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that Sargsyan said he fondly remembers his previous meeting with Désir, which was held in October 2015, and within the framework of the ministerial conference of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.

The President, however, sadly noted that his predictions at the time, and with respect to Azerbaijan’s destructive posture and its consequences, have come true in recent times.

At the request of the guest, Serzh Sargsyan presented his views regarding the causes of and motives behind the present-day situation along the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, and the avenues for resolving this situation.

Harlem Désir, in turn, first, conveyed to President Sargsyan the warm greetings and best wishes from French President François Hollande. Subsequently, he stressed that France is convinced that this conflict cannot be resolved by military means, and they are interested that the talks resume to the benefit of the peaceful settlement of this conflict.

The interlocutors shared the view that, first,  the mechanisms for overseeing ceasefire violations and the confidence-building measures need to be introduced without delay. 

The French Minister of State for European Affairs , for his part, added that his country spares no effort to contribute to the pacific and speedy resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.