LONDON 

France on Saturday welcomed progress towards peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia after the two South Caucasus nations signed a trilateral peace roadmap with the US.

"France welcomes today’s announcement by Washington, under the aegis of (US) President (Donald) Trump, of an agreement between President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan with a view to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Lauding the progress as a "major step forward," the statement added that the signing and ratification as soon as possible of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will complete this process.

"With a view to this, France supports the parties’ joint call for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group structures," it added, referring to a group it co-chairs that had been devoted to the territory of Karabakh, which was recently rightfully restored to Azerbaijan.

The ministry said that the agreement must enable the South Caucasus to become an "area of peace and prosperity, benefitting the people of the region."

"Alongside its European partners, France will continue to work actively to this end, including as part of the European Political Community," it added.

On Friday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and US President Donald Trump signed the joint declaration at a trilateral summit at the White House.

The agreement aims to end decades of conflict, with commitments to cease hostilities, reopen transport routes, and normalize relations.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought a series of cross-border wars since the late 1980s, including most recently in 2023 when Azerbaijan liberated its territory of Karabakh.