France Stands by Armenia, Please Convey Our Message to the Armenian People – President of the French National Assembly to Pashinyan

Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the President of the French National Assembly, Gérard Larcher, during his visit to the French Republic. This was reported by the Prime Minister's Office.

President Larcher welcomed Pashinyan’s visit to Paris, congratulated him on his birthday, and wished him success in his future endeavors. “Mr. Prime Minister, Armenia is a friendly state for France, and we greatly value the continuous development and expansion of bilateral relations. During the difficult period Armenia has gone through, we have remained in constant contact with our Armenian partners, and our deputies have stood by Armenia's side. We will continue to support the overcoming of challenges faced by the Armenian people in the future,” said Gérard Larcher.

Nikol Pashinyan expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and noted that Armenia has felt the support of friendly France, including from the Senators and members of the National Assembly, during all difficult times. “It is not just about politicians; only a month ago, a social survey was conducted in Armenia, and when asked which country they consider a friend of Armenia, the overwhelming majority responded France. Naturally, we are interested in having a greater French presence in Armenia,” said Nikol Pashinyan, emphasizing the importance of expanding the presence of French businesses and investors in Armenia. The Acting Prime Minister stressed that the economic component in bilateral relations should be more substantial.

Pashinyan addressed the situation created in Armenia after the Artsakh war, indicating that the main issue is the security situation around the country. The Acting Prime Minister outlined the circumstances of incidents occurring along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and reiterated France's supportive stance in this context. “In this regard, France expressed a clear, unambiguous, and unequivocal position,” said Pashinyan, noting that Armenia is trying to resolve the border situation through diplomatic means in cooperation with international partners.

Regarding the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the active role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship in this process. The Acting Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of resolutions passed by the French Senate regarding the necessity of recognizing the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh and ensuring the return of Armenian prisoners of war.

Gérard Larcher added that they are closely monitoring the developments in the South Caucasus. “France stands by Armenia, please convey our message to the Armenian people. We will do everything we can to ensure stability and prosperity in Armenia. You have always relied on us and can continue to rely on us now and in the future,” emphasized the President of the French National Assembly.

The French side once again stressed the importance of protecting Armenia's territorial integrity, ensuring the swift return of prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan, preserving Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, and involving UNESCO in this process. “We hope that after the upcoming elections, Armenia will restore its unity and move towards the future,” said Mr. Larcher.

At the same time, it was announced that a new resolution regarding the return of Armenian prisoners of war is currently being developed in the French National Assembly, as well as preparations for a visit of the Armenia-France parliamentary friendship group to our country.

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the situation in the South Caucasus region, the upcoming elections in Armenia, the implementation of democratic reforms in our country, and several other issues of mutual interest.