French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Élysée Palace.
After the welcoming ceremony, the leaders of the two countries made statements to the media.
In his speech, Emmanuel Macron stated: “Hello ladies and gentlemen, I am very glad to host the Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in Paris today.
Dear Nikol, we have worked hard together in recent years since your commitment to democracy and the fight against corruption. I especially remember my visit to the Francophonie Summit in Yerevan and our many discussions. This working visit is taking place at a very important time for Armenia.
Armenia is facing a serious security crisis today. Since the announcement of the November 9 ceasefire, which ended the battles in Nagorno-Karabakh, Mr. Pashinyan and I have assessed the situation and noted that even if the ceasefire is generally maintained, there is much to be done. And France is ready to help the people. First of all, I am talking about all prisoners of war, including the release of all prisoners of war and other detained persons.
I would like to emphasize the need to protect the cultural heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, which must be preserved. And as a co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group, it is the duty of France along with Russia and United States to do everything possible to achieve de-escalation, and to establish a dialogue between the parties.
I also want to talk about the recent border incidents between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As I have already said, Mr. Pashinyan, all demarcation and delimitation work must be carried out exclusively through negotiations, and in no case should force be used. Azerbaijani troops must be withdrawn from the sovereign territory of Armenia. I call on the parties to return to their starting positions. We will try to help establish a dialogue.
In this difficult situation, where Armenia finds itself, France is by Armenia’s side as always, first of all in the humanitarian sphere. First of all, our medical institutions cooperated with the medical institutions of Armenia, many hospitals in Armenia were chosen, which needed it. We have also provided special support to the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is involved in the search for prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan and their families and the search for missing soldiers.
We also talked with Mr. Pashinyan about economic cooperation, clarified the cooperation in certain areas, which aims to help Armenia develop infrastructure and continue our commitment in the field of climate change. This is the reason why I am receiving the Acting Prime Minister with great pleasure today.
Dear Nikol, we are in solidarity with Armenia, and we will be. In these difficult times, France is determined to bring peace to the region eventually.
Thank you and once again welcome.”
In his speech, Nikol Pashinyan stated: “Thank you, Mr. President, dear Emmanuel,
First of all, let me thank you for the invitation. And today, as you mentioned, we have a very broad agenda to discuss. I would like to emphasize first of all that the President of France has been planning a visit to the Republic of Armenia for a long time, which did not take place last year due to the coronavirus. I hope that together we will overcome the coronavirus and other crises. I look forward to autumn; we are waiting for you in Yerevan, Mr. President.
France and Armenia have a privileged relationship and it is very important to state that during this period the Armenian people, the Republic of Armenia have always felt the personal support of France and President Macron. I would like to emphasize that President Macron has spoken the language of truth since the first day of the crisis in our region, a voice that has been heard all over the world. This is very important for us. I want to emphasize that France and President Macron, continue that commitment, which is very important in overcoming the crisis in our region.
I want to emphasize that we attach importance to the role of France as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. The co-chairing activity is extremely important in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and regional crises, for long-term peace and stability. I am very glad that after the end of the war, the Co-Chairs have already made three statements, which, in fact, indicate their readiness to mutually involve and resume the negotiations on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Of course, today we will discuss those possibilities, too. I would also like to thank France for its humanitarian assistance during this period, but we emphasize the importance of France’s economic involvement. There are many projects in Armenia - infrastructure, energy, economy - in which the involvement of France is very important for us. And I am pleased to note that the French Government and President Macron, is personally interested in getting involved in these programs.
I consider very important the personal zeal of the President of France Macron for the preservation of cultural heritage in our region, especially in Nagorno-Karabakh.
And, of course, we highly appreciate the involvement of France in all these areas. The Republic of Armenia, the Armenian people, are interested in increasing that involvement, especially because, I repeat, France, as OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, has a responsibility and involvement in ensuring the security, peace and long-term stability of the region. And I’m glad that the interest is still there.
Once again, Mr. President, dear Emanuel, I am very pleased to have the opportunity for such personal communication and I am confident that our discussions today will serve the interests of friendship between our countries and the security and stability of our region. Your role in that is really very important.”
Afterwards, Nikol Pashinyan and Emmanuel Macron continued the talks in a private conversation, discussing the issues on the agenda of the Armenian-French relations, the expansion of economic cooperation, as well as the developments in the South Caucasus, the further steps towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of OSCE Minsk Group, the opportunities for a peaceful resolution of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
