Pashinyan Meets with Catherine Colonna

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received a delegation led by Catherine Colonna, the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister welcomed Colonna's visit to Armenia and emphasized Armenia's special relationship and attention towards Armenian-French relations.

"I want to highlight how pleased I am with the dynamics of our relations. Not only are these relations at a high level, but I also believe we have the potential to develop them further. I would like to express special gratitude to the President of France, to you, and to the government for the attention given to the issues of our region, particularly the ongoing crisis around Artsakh and the Lachin corridor. I again welcome you and would be glad to hear your assessments and impressions about this visit and the state of our region," said Nikol Pashinyan.

In turn, Catherine Colonna thanked Prime Minister Pashinyan for the warm welcome and added, "This is my first visit to your country, and I would like to convey the friendly greetings of the President to you without delay. You know that France is a friend of Armenia, stands by Armenia, and we have many ties to this country. But I want to personally reaffirm that we are by your side in the reforms, efforts, and work you are undertaking, and we stand with you in the pursuit of just and sustainable peace."

They discussed issues related to the further development and strengthening of cooperation between Armenia and France in various sectors. The interlocutors addressed the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh due to the situation surrounding the Lachin corridor and the Artsakh conflict overall.

They emphasized the urgent need for the immediate implementation of the International Court of Justice's decision and the necessity for Azerbaijan to unblock the Lachin corridor. Azerbaijan's unilateral actions, including the establishment of a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, which grossly violates the statement of November 9, 2020, were considered unacceptable.

They also exchanged views on issues regarding the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In the context of ensuring security and stability in the region, the effective operation of the European Union observer mission in Armenia was highlighted.