French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visited Armenia to express France’s continued support for the difficult situation the country is going through. During her visit, she announced that France would deliver military equipment to Armenia in order to strengthen its defense capacity in the face of the influx of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.
This announcement comes in a context where Azerbaijan, supported by Turkey, is showing itself to be increasingly aggressive and is engaging in military incursions into Armenian territory. Faced with this threat, France has decided to act by providing Armenia with the equipment it needs for its defense. Catherine Colonna stressed that this approach is being done in a spirit of responsibility and without seeking to escalate the situation.
The Foreign Minister also called on the European Union to strengthen its presence and mandate in the region and include Armenia in the European Peace Facility. She reaffirmed France’s vigilance regarding Armenia’s territorial integrity and requested a strengthening of the European Union observation mission already present on the ground.
Finally, Catherine Colonna announced the transfer to French hospitals of those injured by the explosion of a fuel depot which took place at the end of September, while residents of Nagorno-Karabakh were fleeing en masse from the enclave.
This visit by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs to Armenia demonstrates France’s solidarity with this country in difficulty. She took concrete steps to support Armenia in its defense against Azerbaijan’s actions and called for greater involvement of the European Union in the region. France thus positions itself in favor of peace and the preservation of the territorial integrity of Armenia.