Documents Signed on Bilateral Cooperation at French Ministry of Armed Forces

During a working visit to France, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan visited the French Ministry of Armed Forces, where a formal welcoming ceremony took place with the participation of a military band and honor guard. The national anthems of the Republic of Armenia and the French Republic were played. This was reported by the Armenian Ministry of Defense.

Following the ceremony, a meeting commenced with French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu. Also present were the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Armenia to France Hasmik Tolmajyan and the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France to Armenia Olivier Decotignie. During the meeting, issues related to Armenian-French cooperation in the field of defense, as well as regional security, were discussed.

The progress of the implementation of agreements reached during discussions held in Paris in September 2022 and June 2023 was summarized, and new opportunities for the development of cooperation were outlined, including the acquisition of defense systems, military education, retraining, exchange of experiences, and other matters of mutual interest.

Both parties expressed high appreciation for the current level of cooperation and expressed their willingness to make new efforts to further develop it. After the official meeting, a joint announcement was made for the press, during which the Armenian Defense Minister thanked the French side for the comprehensive support provided for the development of cooperation in the defense sector.

The ministers answered journalists' questions. Subsequently, documents on bilateral cooperation were signed at the French Ministry of Armed Forces. It was previously reported that at the invitation of French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan traveled to the French Republic for a working visit on October 22.

It is noteworthy that French Minister of Defense Sébastien Lecornu indicated that Paris and Yerevan would formalize agreements on the purchase of French weapons, particularly in the field of air defense on Sunday.