Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot signed three significant cooperation agreements during Barrot’s visit to Yerevan, further strengthening the strategic partnership between Armenia and France.
The first agreement, a Declaration of Intent, outlines plans for annual political consultations between the Armenian and French foreign ministries, cooperation in combating disinformation, and joint training programs for diplomats.
The second agreement is a Protocol on Amendments to the existing Armenia–France Agreement regarding the operations of the French Development Agency (AfD) and Proparco. The amendment extends the agreement to include Expertise France, allowing the agency to operate in Armenia and support capacity-building programs for local governments, public institutions, and state bodies.
The third agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Enterprise Armenia Investment Support Center Foundation and Business France. The MoU was signed by Gohar Galyan, Acting Director of Enterprise Armenia, and Olivier Decottignies, French Ambassador to Armenia, in the presence of Mirzoyan and Barrot.
During the official visit, Minister Barrot reaffirmed France’s firm and long-term support for Armenia. “I have come to once again reaffirm France’s support for Armenia, which the President of the Republic wants to be unwavering, stable, and comprehensive,” he declared in Yerevan.
Barrot underscored France’s support for the peace agreement with Baku.
“I would also like to commend Prime Minister Pashinyan’s courage. As my colleague Marco Rubio said, it is time to sign and ratify it. That is what France, the United States, and Europe are expecting,” he said.
He reiterated France’s support for Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a notable expansion of bilateral ties, Barrot highlighted the deepening defense cooperation between the two countries, including training programs and the supply of military equipment.
“The goal of all this is to enable Armenia to ensure its own defense and sovereignty,” he noted.
The French minister also announced France’s intention to open a consular agency in the southern Armenian city of Goris, a strategic location near the border with Azerbaijan.
When asked whether France and Armenia are ready to elevate their relationship to the level of a strategic partnership, Barrot responded, “Relations between our two countries and peoples are already largely strategic.”
Regarding Russia’s role in the region—especially in light of recent statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about Armenia–Russia relations—Barrot pointed to the ongoing escalation in Ukraine as evidence of Russia’s aggressive behavior. He stated: “We want peace. And for peace to be clear and meaningful, there must first be a ceasefire that allows for proper negotiations.”
He added that France and Europe are not at war with Russia or the Russian people but are resisting “Putinization, the redrawing of borders on the European continent by force.”
Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan affirmed the importance of the expanding partnership: “As has already been said, we will work in a way that our deep cooperation is also properly defined and qualified in formal documents.”
