Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia on Wednesday sent a congratulatory message to President Emmanuel Macron of France on the latter’s National Day. The message reads as follows, in part:

“It is undeniable that as underpinned by common values and a centuries-old friendship, the Armenian-French bilateral relations stand out by their privileged character. The privileged political dialogue between our two countries allows us to successfully cooperate on many programs and issues of mutual interest.

In the context of the tragic events that took place last year, Armenia sincerely appreciates the unbiased position of friendly France and the assistance provided to Armenia and Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)]. Once again, France and the French people backed us in this difficult historical period.

Armenia highly values you country’s strong commitment, as a Minsk Group co-chair, to brokering a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We appreciate France’s efforts to return Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan and safeguard the Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

I look forward to hosting you in Armenia in the near future as part of a state visit.”