The establishment of a defense mission in the French embassy in Armenia shall enable us to deepen bilateral cooperation in this key area as well. Catherine Colonna, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, stated this in an interview with Armenpress. 

She noted that France is decisively supporting the efforts by Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan’s government aimed at strengthening democracy and the rule of law in Armenia and developing the economy.

“The courageous choice of democracy by Armenia must receive support, to which we are committed to together with other members of the international community and the European Union.

“In December 2021 we signed an ambitious roadmap for economic cooperation, and recently the Ambitions: France-Armenia Forum was held in Paris, and we opened an office of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Yerevan. The AFD is engaged in productive dialogue with the authorities of Armenia to implement new projects, particularly in the fields of water and sustainable energy.

“Last year the volumes of our bilateral trade grew significantly, and we try to continue this trend, including by supporting French companies who want to invest in Armenia, like Veolia, Pernod Ricard, Carrefour, and Amundi-Acba.

“Regarding defense, the establishment of a defense mission in the French Embassy in Armenia shall enable us to deepen bilateral cooperation in this key area as well,” the French FM said.