On March 2, in Paris, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to France, Elchin Amirbayov, said that when it comes to foreign affairs the Karabakh issue is high on Baku’s list. Ambassador Amirbayov stated during the conference, organized by the France-Europe-Azerbaijan Institute, that Armenia was guilty of wiping away all traces of Azerbaijani culture in the territories it now occupies and that one million Azeris are now refugees as a result.

He went on to say that Armenia was ten times economically weaker than Azerbaijan and that every third Armenian is leaving because there are no prospects for a better life in the future. Amirbayov said that if Armenia would agree to Karabakh receiving "special status" within Azerbaijan, there would be a strong possibility for economic cooperation between Baku and Yerevan.