YEREVAN. – France expects concrete actions from Turkey to withdraw the mercenaries from Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)]. Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, said this at Saturday’s press conference in Yerevan.

Lemoyne reminded that from the first day of the conflict, France, together with Russia and the United States, had made efforts to stop these hostilities. "The November 9 document, which was signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, contains nine points, but there are elements that are not there. For example, in terms of mercenaries from Syria, taking them out of the region; negotiations on the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh; there are issues related to security and stability. Therefore, it is important to continue the negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group; the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides have also expressed such a wish," said the French official.

He stressed that French President Emmanuel Macron was the first to call it like it is and said that there are mercenaries transferred from Turkey. Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne added that France is waiting for concrete actions from Turkey to withdraw the mercenaries, and it is discussing with its European partners the matter of sanctions.

Also, the French MFA Secretary of State noted that the participation of all the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs is necessary to continue the talks.

On November 9, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement on a complete cessation of hostilities— which Azerbaijan had launched on September 27—in and around Artsakh. Accordingly, Russian peacekeepers are deployed in the region to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities. But this statement also stipulates the handover of part of Artsakh lands to Azerbaijan.