Prior to his second official visit to France President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev told the reporters that he bleieved that his visit would mark a new stage in the relations between France and Azerbaijan. The three-day visit was indeed a historical success of the foreign policy of Azerbaijan.

On the first day of the visit, on January 13, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev had a meeting with the French President Jacques Chirac at Elysee Palace. They discussed the French-Azerbaijani relations, the role of France as a co-chair of the Minsk Group of OSCE in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, co-operation between the two countries in the oil sector.

Following the meeting, a contract on joint development of Lankaran-deniz and Talysh-deniz oil deposits was signed between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan and Elf Aquitane and Total of France.

On January 13, President Heydar Aliyev delivered a lecture on the topic «Azerbaijan and the Caucasus on the threshold of the 21st century» at the French Institute of International Relations. In his lecture Heydar Aliyev spoke about the history and reasons of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the ways of its solution, the political and economic reforms carried out in Azerbaijan. He sounded optimistic forecasts about the future of Azerbaijan: «Azerbaijan`s socio-economic future will be great. We are confident that by democratizing all the spheres of our life, we can evolve Azerbaijan into the group of advanced nations. Azerbaijan is trying to co-exist peacefully with all its neighboring countries.»

On January 14, the Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev delivered a speech at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of France and spoke about Azerbaijan`s achievements in the recent years, measures aimed at economic integration, prospects of the oil industry.

Heydar Aliyev`s official visit to France attracted much attention of the French and global mass media. He gave interviews to France Press Agency, TV Arte, TV-5, Euronews, Le Point weekly magazine, L`Expansion magazine, answered the questions of foreign journalists accredited in France.

On January 14, speaking at the opening ceremony of the French - Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce, President Heydar Aliyev appreciated it as an increasing level of economic relations between the two countries and growing interest of the French businesspeople in Azerbaijan.

On the same day Heydar Aliyev made a speech at the official reception organized in his honor at the French National Assembly and expressed his intention to develop mutual relations in all the directions.

On January 14, Heydar Aliyev made a speech at the official reception organized in his honor by the French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette. The President said that he was satisfied with the results of hsi visit.

On the last day of his visit (January 15), President Heydar Aliyev met with the representatives of the Azerbaijani community in France. Informing the participants of the meeting about the domestic and foreign policy of Azerbaijan, he spoke about the tasks of the Azerbaijani diaspora.

In general, the second visit of the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to the Republic of France was quite successful. The following documents were signed during the visit: an agreement on air communication, a joint declaration on cultural relations, agreement on free movement.

The visit which further developed and deepened the friendly relations with France which play an important role in the European and world policy, marked the great potential for the development of political and economic relations.