BAKU. April 27 (Interfax) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hosted French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Thursday, according to a report published on the Azerbaijani president's website.
During the meeting, Aliyev said there is need for a broad exchange of opinions on prospects of Azerbaijani-French relations.
The Azerbaijani president said "the bilateral agenda of relations [between Baku and Paris] is always very broad," adding that "cooperation in the political, economic, energy, transport and other spheres has a long history."
Aliyev said he hopes regional security and cooperation issues will be addressed during the French foreign minister's tour of the South Caucasus.
Colonna, for her part, said French President Emmanuel Macron attaches a lot of significance to public and regular contacts with Aliyev.
She said France wants peace, economic and social development in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus region in general, which "has always been her country's purpose."
The French foreign minister said "France attaches a lot of significance to bilateral relations [with Azerbaijan] and relations in the European Union," noting that "there is a lot of potential in this direction."
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is on a tour of the South Caucasus region on April 26-28.