Armenia has made its choice by turning its face towards Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron said during a speech to representatives of the French community in Armenia on Monday.

According to Macron, the meeting of the European Political Community held in Yerevan on Monday, with the participation of more than 40 leaders, would never have taken place “if the Armenian leaders were in the hands of the Russians, or had an ambiguous attitude towards Russia.”

“Thus, Armenia has truly made the choice of its geopolitical majority to overcome this limitation and turn its face towards Europe. We cannot act as if it does not exist. We, the French, must accept this choice and be faithful to it. The 2020 war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh was terrible for many families, perhaps for some of you... But let’s look at it in a clear-headed way. Who was there, standing with Armenia? France, as much as possible.

But, I assure you, Russia was not there. No more than when Venezuela had problems, or in the case of Syria, its historical allies. We were convinced of this again by the example of Iran, or by the example of the Mali regime, when it is confronted by terrorists. As you can see from the geopolitical context, it is better not to need Russia too much.”

“In short, we [i.e. France] want to participate in the adventure of Armenia in the 21st century, an Armenia that is no longer dependent on Russia, but is fully turning towards Europe and is at the center of the European political community. An Armenia that wants peace, lasting stability, and prosperity. And it creates this itself, thanks to chosen partnerships and reliable allies like France,” the French president said.