On October 3, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris for discussions on bilateral relations and regional issues.
The leaders addressed a wide range of topics during their meeting. They discussed strengthening Armenia-France relations across multiple sectors, progress on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty, Armenia's "Crossroads of Peace" project, support for displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenia-EU cooperation.
Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted France's consistent support for Armenia and expressed readiness to further develop areas of mutual interest. President Macron, in turn, reaffirmed France's unconditional support for Armenia and commitment to enhancing bilateral ties.
Regarding the peace treaty with Azerbaijan, Pashinyan reported that 80% of the draft points have been agreed upon. He stated Armenia's willingness to sign based on the current draft while continuing discussions on remaining issues.
The Armenian "Crossroads of Peace" project, aimed at unblocking regional transportation links, was also a topic of discussion. Pashinyan emphasized Armenia's readiness to proceed based on principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction, reciprocity, and equality.
Both leaders addressed the social challenges faced by those displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, with Macron pledging international community support for Armenia's housing provision program.
On Armenia-EU relations, Pashinyan expressed hope for continued French support. He also praised the EU mission in Armenia and France's role in initiating visa liberalization dialogue and supporting Armenia through the European Peace Facility.
President Macron expressed France's backing for Armenia's peace initiatives and welcomed the "Crossroads of Peace" project, underlining France's commitment to stability in the region.
Earlier, BMG reported that at the beginning of September, Armenia and the EU announced the start of a dialogue on visa liberalization. The goal of this process is to support Armenia in establishing a visa-free regime for short-term travel to EU countries while ensuring the necessary conditions for effectively managed mobility and security.
