BAKU, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna on Thursday, and the two sides reiterated their commitment to peace and security in the region.
Bayramov highlighted the current regional situation and Azerbaijan's efforts towards the normalization of relations with Armenia in the post-conflict period.
"Despite the current challenges and difficulties, Azerbaijan will continue its efforts to establish peace and security in the region," Bayramov said.
Colonna said that although peace and confidence building in the region takes time, commitment to the negotiation process was important.
"France is also ready to support efforts to establish peace in the region," she added.
The two also discussed relations between Azerbaijan and France. Bayramov stressed the importance of contacts and political dialogue for eliminating misunderstandings, and highlighted the implementation of joint projects in economy, energy security, transport, culture and education in the past years.
Colonna noted that despite differences in the two countries' approaches to a number of issues, it was significant to continue close contacts and political consultations to ensure the development of bilateral relations.
Earlier in the day, Colonna met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and she will also visit Armenia and Georgia. ■
