It Did Not Prevent Armenia from Not Leaving the CSTO: French Ambassador to Armenia

Diversification is essential in all sectors for a country that wishes to ensure its independence in the economy, defense, and political spheres. This was stated by Olivier Decottignies, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France to Armenia, in an interview with Public Television regarding the possibility of diversifying Armenia's economy, considering that Armenian products are mainly exported to Russia, and whether these products could be exported to Europe.

“There is a French expression: you should not put all your eggs in one basket. I think this is a concern for the Armenian authorities today. We, the French, are ready to support Armenia on this path. Currently, the largest supplier of water in Armenia is the French company, Veolia Water’s Armenian branch. The largest fund for accumulated pensions in Armenia is the French Amundi ACB company. This shows that we have started a support process, which means that we can already do something. Yes, we can do more. What does this imply? This implies that Armenia has a favorable business environment, it implies a struggle against monopolies and corruption, favorable conditions for foreign enterprises that are established in Armenia. Let us remember how Orange left Armenia due to unfavorable conditions, which disappointed many French businesses that intended to establish themselves in Armenia. Armenia needs to make efforts to improve the business environment, and there is a willingness from the Europeans to be involved in this. The willingness from the French side is evident,” he said.

When asked how much Armenia's relations with Russia within the framework of the EAEU and CSTO hinder the country's European integration, the French ambassador responded, “Today, Russia cannot be associated with Europe at a time when it is the main threat to Europe's security. As Armenia, you are in a regional environment surrounded by regional powers such as Russia, Turkey, and Iran. You need to be able to operate in this regional environment while simultaneously developing your ties with more distant countries, such as EU countries, France, and India. I do not think there is a fundamental contradiction; there is no necessity to make one main choice, but rather the opportunity to make multiple choices on certain issues according to your interests. We are here to respond to your needs pragmatically, and we have already demonstrated this in the military sector. It did not prevent Armenia from not leaving the CSTO.”