Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in the sidelines of his working visit to France at the Élysée Palace on January 23. Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Emmanuel Macron issued statements for mass media summing up the results of the meeting, the press service of the Armenian President’s Office reported.
President Serzh Sargsyan said:
"Thank you, Mr. President.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our first meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron was really impressive. Thank you, Mr. President, for open and sincere dialogue, as well as for the warm welcome shown to the Armenian delegation.
It is a well-known fact that the history of Armenian and French peoples is marked by friendship; we entertain a sincere feeling of love and respect for France and its talented people. Therefore, I want to reaffirm Armenia’s commitment to continue developing, expanding and deepening bilateral relations in the spirit of mutual respect and trust.
We discussed with President Macron several issues of mutual interest, and I would like to note with satisfaction that our viewpoints almost coincided on vital issues; in other matters they are very close. By the way, I mean both the bilateral and international agenda.
We adhere to the same principles and share the same values. On this basis, we will continue to expand the Armenian-French privileged relations and the ongoing high-level political dialogue, build on inter-parliamentary, decentralized, cultural and scientific-educational ties, and support each other in mutually sensitive matters.
Indeed, we talked about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is probably one of the most sensitive issues in our region. I expressed high appreciation of the long-standing approaches and efforts exerted by France as an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair country, aimed at settling the conflict peacefully and establishing security, stability and cooperation in our region.
Armenia is committed to continuing the talks brokered by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. People in Nagorno-Karabakh are known to strive for freedom and self-determination, and their struggle can not be doomed to failure.
In October, 2018, Armenia will be hosting the 17th Summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie, an event high on our bilateral agenda. For us, La Francophonie is not a mere form of language convergence: first of all, it is a commonwealth shaped around progressive civilization-oriented values, which has been instrumental in ensuring mankind’s progress, the bearer and the small particle of which we are.
We take the challenge with a sense of dignity and will spare no effort to make it a success. I am happy that President Macron reaffirmed his participation in the Summit, which is the key to success. And we have Mr. Macron’s endorsement to hold a Francophone Business Forum on the sidelines of the Summit which, indeed, will add momentum to Armenian-French economic relations. Thank you, Mr. President, for cooperation and support.
We agreed with my counterpart to keep the bilateral economic ties in the spotlight. Backed by our European partners, including the EU, the democratic reforms underway in Armenia, our commitment to bringing the local economy and legislation closer to European standards are promoting the business and investment-friendly environment year after year. In this regard, I reassured President Macron that we are more than interested in expanding the scope of the already well-established French entrepreneurship in our country.
I would also like to highlight the importance of close parliamentary ties between our countries. I am going to meet with members of the Armenia-France Friendship Group of the National Assembly of France. The Group’s activity fully complies with its name. For many years now, French parliamentarians have not only strived to build close inter-parliamentary cooperation, but they have also enriched and expanded the agenda of bilateral interstate relations.
Of course, a central topic of our discussion was the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, which was signed between Armenia and the European Union in November, 2017. It is a truly ambitious milestone, in the development of which France played a valuable role.
I availed myself of the opportunity to reiterate our appreciation for being supported all the way through the process of developing EU-Armenia relations. Armenia badly needs the continued support of your country in this matter. This agreement can open up new horizons for bilateral relations.
In conclusion, I would like to once again wish my counterpart Emmanuel Macron every success in his mission as the leader of France and express confidence that France shall become a more prosperous, more beautiful and safer country during his tenure of office.
Thank you very much, Mr. President, for a very good dialogue and the warm welcome."
