Armenia–France Relations

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Education Minister Zhanna Andreasyan and French Ambassador Olivier Decottignies. Image by Ministry of Education.

Armenia

Armenia to promote the French language in schools

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•2 min read

Armenia and France have signed agreements aimed at promoting and developing French language teaching in public educational institutions of Armenia, and to implement an additional Francophone project. France will invest €600,000 ($670,000) within the framework of the project. This funding will go towards providing Armenian schools with new textbooks, educational materials, and fresh programmes for teaching French. ‘French in Armenia is not only for the elite or the capital,’ wrote Ambassad

Armenia

France reaffirms support to Armenia

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•2 min read

France’s Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné has visited Armenia in a show of ‘French friendship and support’, with both sides pledging to deepen ties and cooperation. Séjourné arrived in Yerevan on Monday, where he met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. Prior to his visit, he published a video announcing his intent to visit Armenia, Greece, and Moldova. He said that Armenia and Moldova were facing ‘unacceptable attempts’ of destabilisation and pressure

Armenia

Armenia purchases French CAESAR artillery systems

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•3 min read

French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu has announced that Armenia has purchased an undisclosed number of France’s CAESAR artillery systems. Lecornu met with Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan in France on Monday, during which several new agreements were reached, including one signed between the Armenian Defence Ministry and French arms manufacturer, KNDS France. Lecornu announced that the deal would include the acquisition of CAESAR systems on Tuesday, calling it a ‘new importa

Armenia

Survey suggests 40% of Armenians view Russia as a political threat

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•3 min read

A new survey commissioned by the International Republican Institute (IRI) has found that 40% of Armenians view Russia as a political threat, behind just Azerbaijan and Turkey. IRI published the results of their December 2023 polls on Tuesday. The survey found that 66% of Armenians thought their country’s relations with France were very good, followed by India at 49%; Iran with 30%; the US with 29%; and the EU at 25%. The results showed that only 31% thought that Armenia–Russian relations w

Niklol Pashinyan at the 2022 CSTO summit. Official photo.

Armenia

Pashinyan: Armenia has ‘frozen’ its participation in the CSTO

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•3 min read

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia’s participation in the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) was ‘basically frozen’ because of its failure to come to Armenia’s defence. In an interview with France 24 on Thursday, Pashinyan criticised the CSTO for not fulfilling its security obligations towards Armenia in 2021 and 2022, saying that the CSTO’s refusal to come to its aid in the face of Azerbaijani attacks ‘could not have gone without consequences’. ‘The

Joint Armenian–American military drills in Armenia. Image via DVIDS.

Armenia–EU Relations

Armenia steps up military ties with West as Russia relations tumble

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•3 min read

The Armenian authorities have continued to foster security ties with the West, as the country’s relations with Moscow remain in freefall. Earlier this week, the Chief of Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Eduard Asryan, visited the United States European Command in Stuttgart, where he met with deputy commander Lieutenant General Steven Basham, to discuss Armenian–American military cooperation. The two were reported to have discussed army professionalisation programmes, the modernisation of

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on 3 October 2023. Image via the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

Armenia–Azerbaijan Conflict

Aliyev ‘backs out’ of meeting with Pashinyan after France greenlights arms to Armenia

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•2 min read

Baku has reportedly cancelled a meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that was set to take place on Thursday after France announced its readiness to deliver military supplies to Armenia. Azerbaijani state news agency Apa claimed that Aliyev had cancelled his meeting with Pashinyan in Granada as a result of France’s offer of military supplies to Armenia. While Baku has yet to confirm media reports of its cancellation of the meeting in