Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a private meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France.
Prime Minister Pashinyan warmly congratulated President Macron on the occasion of France’s National Day, wishing good health and prosperity to the friendly people of France. President Macron expressed gratitude to Pashinyan for the kind wishes and emphasized his commitment to further developing and deepening multilateral cooperation with Armenia. The two leaders discussed several key issues on the Armenia-France bilateral agenda, including the implementation of joint programs. They also exchanged views on issues of regional significance.
Pashinyan briefed Macron on discussions held earlier today in Brussels, highlighting the Armenian government’s goal of further deepening cooperation with the European Union (EU).
Earlier in the day, a trilateral meeting took place in Brussels between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, underscoring a shared commitment to deepen cooperation and promote stability in the South Caucasus. Following the talks, the leaders adopted a joint press release highlighting key outcomes.
European Council President Costa and Commission President von der Leyen welcomed Armenia’s ambitious reform agenda, reaffirming support for the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democratic progress. António Costa also noted on X (formerly Twitter) that the European bloc firmly supports Armenia’s “ambitious reform” agenda. Prime Minister Pashinyan, in turn, wrote on Facebook that they had an “effective and expanded conversation” with President Costa and President von der Leyen.
They praised the recent political agreement on the EU-Armenia New Partnership Agenda—a critical milestone in expanding bilateral ties—and noted Armenia’s progress on visa liberalization and the new law launching the process of European integration.
The EU reiterated its commitment to Armenia’s resilience and long-term development through substantial support under the Global Gateway strategy, with expected investments reaching EUR 2.5 billion. The recently announced EUR 270 million Resilience and Growth Plan increases EU funding to Armenia by 50%, combining EUR 200 million in grants with EUR 70 million aimed at leveraging further investments. These funds will back socio-economic reforms, sectoral cooperation, and projects in energy, transport, and the private sector.
The leaders endorsed Armenia’s Crossroads of Peace initiative, aimed at fostering regional connectivity and reconciliation. They acknowledged Armenia’s ongoing efforts to stabilize the South Caucasus through peace talks with Azerbaijan and steps toward normalizing relations with Türkiye. The EU emphasized Armenia’s potential inclusion in regional and economic initiatives, including the Black Sea Strategy framework.
President Costa and President von der Leyen expressed appreciation for Armenia’s cooperation in preventing sanctions circumvention and agreed with Prime Minister Pashinyan to continue joint efforts. Security cooperation was also a major focus, with the launch of EU-Armenia Security and Defence consultations highlighting a shared commitment to peace, stability, and democratic resilience.
The leaders discussed challenges such as foreign information manipulation, disinformation, and cyber threats. The EU committed to collaborating with Armenia to assess needs, identify priorities, and use EU instruments to strengthen the country’s information ecosystem. As part of this effort, the EU announced a new EUR 1.5 million package to support independent media.
Armenia will host the upcoming European Political Community Summit and the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, both welcomed by EU leaders as opportunities to deepen engagement.
The joint statement concluded that this meeting marks a significant step forward in EU-Armenia relations and called for continued progress at the forthcoming EU-Armenia Partnership Council scheduled for this autumn.
