Azerbaijan Claims Sovereignty Over Armenia's Internationally Recognized Territories: Nikol Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met today with Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, the Secretary of State for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France. The meeting was also attended by Jonathan Lacôte, the Ambassador of France to Armenia. The Prime Minister noted that this is the third visit of the French Secretary of State to Armenia in the last five months and expressed the Armenian side's high appreciation for President Macron's determination and consistent actions in extending a helping hand to the Armenian people during challenging times.

Pashinyan emphasized that the visit of the French representative delegation to Armenia in connection with the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is a testament to the strong friendship between Armenia and France, which is grounded in historical, cultural, and political ties and shared values. “France has played and continues to play a key role in the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the law recognizing the Armenian Genocide in France. A significant milestone was the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron to recognize April 24th as a day of commemoration for the Armenian Genocide at the state level,” said the Prime Minister, adding, “The Armenian people are grateful to our friend France for their support.”

Thanking for the warm words, Lemoyne stated that it is an honor for him, as the special representative of the French President, to be alongside Armenia and the Armenian people tomorrow, April 24, participating in the commemoration ceremonies. He mentioned that this year France will participate in the Armenian Genocide commemorative events at both legislative and executive levels, as the tragedy that befell the Armenian people is also felt in France, which extends its solidarity. This is evidenced by the law recognizing the Armenian Genocide, which has been in place for three years, alongside the recognition of April 24 as the Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide at the state level.

The Prime Minister and the French Secretary of State exchanged views on the situation resulting from the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the opening of regional communication routes. Among the priorities, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of ensuring stability in the region, the return of Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan, and the restoration of the negotiation process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship.

According to Pashinyan, Azerbaijan continues its blatant aggressive anti-Armenian rhetoric and lays claim to Armenia's internationally recognized sovereign territory. He condemned the recent opening of the so-called “Strategist Park” in Baku and emphasized that such anti-Armenian policies lay the greatest groundwork for applying the principle of “separation for salvation” in the case of Artsakh.

At the Secretary of State's request, the Armenian Prime Minister also referred to the upcoming early parliamentary elections in Armenia and the constitutional procedures involved. Pashinyan emphasized that the priority is to unambiguously maintain the democratic quality of the elections, adding that during the post-war crisis period, Armenia was able to ensure the democratic nature of the processes. In this context, both parties stressed the importance of involving international observer missions in the electoral process.

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the agenda of Armenian-French economic cooperation and addressed the fulfillment of agreements from previous discussions. Both expressed satisfaction that significant work has been done to deepen economic cooperation, and certain joint projects have been outlined. In this regard, reciprocal active communication was emphasized. Prime Minister Pashinyan requested President Macron to convey an invitation for a visit to Armenia at his convenience.