YEREVAN. – Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Friday had a telephone conversation with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian, the foreign ministry of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the continued development of Armenian-French relations, and reaffirmed their interest in expanding the multidisciplinary cooperation between the two countries.

The FMs reflected also on the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict, emphasizing the need to resume the respective peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Mirzoyan noted that Armenia and the Armenian people laud the position of and steps by the French government and parliament during and after the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh last fall.

The parties exchanged views also on humanitarian issues created as a result of the aforesaid 44-day war, attaching special importance in this context to the need for immediate repatriation of the Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostages being held in Azerbaijan.

The situation as a result of the Azerbaijani armed forces’ incursion into the sovereign territory of Armenia was also referred to, and need to make efforts to de-escalate and stabilize this situation was stressed.

In addition, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan thanked the French side for its continued assistance to Armenia in its fight against COVID-19.