Deputy Premier Mher Grigoryan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Armenia Jonathan Lacôte and Head of the regional office of the French Development Agency for the South Caucasus Gaëlle Assayag, Deputy Premier’s office said in a statement.

Mentioning the fact that the day of their meeting was symbolic since it is the day that the National Assembly approved the government program, Deputy Premier Mher Grigoryan attached importance to the development and deepening of cooperation with France during implementation of the reforms set forth by the government as well. Grigoryan presented the main provisions of the government program and stressed the opportunities for enhancing the bilateral relations within the scope of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement.

Ambassador Lacôte stated that France was willing to enhance relations with Armenia in the bilateral and multilateral formats and highlighted the fact that President Emmanuel Macron had recently informed about his intention to pay a state visit to Armenia.

The head of the regional office of the French Development Agency for the South Caucasus talked about the process of implementation of the Agency’s programs under implementation in Armenia and expressed the Agency’s willingness to develop new programs in line with the reforms set forth by the Armenian government.

The interlocutors touched upon the need for the formation of a capital market in Armenia and considered the perspectives for the growth of French businesses in Armenia. Armenia’s advantages of being a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as being included in the GSP+ system and being a member of the International Trade Organization.