President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today met with President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher.

A guard of honor and cavalry was lined up for the head of state in front of the Senate`s building.

President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher welcomed President Ilham Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev and President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher posed for photographs.

Gerard Larcher said he was pleased to see President Ilham Aliyev in the French Senate. He said such visits are important in terms of developing bilateral relations between the two countries.

President Ilham Aliyev hailed Azerbaijan-France relations, particularly between parliaments as excellent. The head of state recalled that he received a group of members of the French Senate a couple of days ago and that yesterday he held a very productive meeting with members of MEDEF.

Gerard Larcher recalled that he met with Mehriban Aliyeva as chairperson of Azerbaijan-France inter-parliamentary friendship group in 2014, and emphasized pivotal importance of this meeting. He said such meetings made a considerable contribution to the development of relations between the two countries. Gerard Larcher said Azerbaijani-French relations are developing in strategic direction.

The President of the French Senate enquired about the works to find a solution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

President Ilham Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan`s resolute position on the settlement of the conflict.

The head of state said the conflict can be solved only within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev said the French senators who travelled to Azerbaijan visited the liberated Jojug Marjanli village in Jabrayil district and witnessed how the village was destroyed by Armenians. President Ilham Aliyev said the existence of tension causes damage to the region.

They exchanged views on a range of issues of mutual interest.

Following the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev signed the Senate`s guest book.