The official visit of the RA President Mr. Serzh Sargsyan to France and the forthcoming state visit of the President of France Mr. Nicholas Sarkozy to Armenia after a week are the most important backgrounds for the further development, strengthening, deepening and expanding of the Armenian-French relations.

In particular, it’s symbolic that mutual visits of our heads of states are taking part at a time, when Armenia is celebrating its 20th Anniversary of Independence and both Presidents will attend the concert of Charles Aznavour on the occasion of that event in the Olympia theater.

Today’s meeting of the head of our country with his French counterpart Mr.
Sarkozy, the President of a friendly country as always, was meaningful, constructive, sincere and warm. Trustful relations have been established between the leaders of the two countries and their negotiations are always useful, productive and
fruitful.

Today a meeting was held with the French Prime Minister François Fillon, as well. Possibilities which would be used in expanding and strengthening of our economic cooperation between the two countries were touched upon. Today, France is the second investor in Armenia after Russia, and 155 companies with French capital operate in Armenia. Today, we had a very thorough talk on the spheres of bilateral cooperation like infrastructures, transport and energy and I think that the relations are developing very intensively, but there is much more potential and there is a mutual willingness, intend and readiness to do everything for the further development of those relations.

Today, a meeting was held with the Chairman of the French National Assembly Bernard Accoyer, as well. The inter-parliamentary relations between the two countries are very important. The Friendly Group functioning in the French Parliament is the biggest one and I would also like to note that in this frames it is stressed the importance of the cooperation on decentralized level- today thirty cities and regions of the two countries are developing very good relations and cooperation.

Yesterday in the evening, the Friendly Groups of the National Assembly and Senate organized a dinner in honor of the President of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Serzh Sargsyan. And it is also scheduled to have a working lunch organized by the Movement of the French Enterprises (Medef), during which the cooperation between the enterprises of the two countries is 0discussed.

Tomorrow the meeting with the Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoe is to be held, who is expected to visit Armenia soon. The conference of Association of Francophone Mayors will take place on October 25-26 in Armenia, and around two dozen mayors will arrive in Armenia to take part in the conference. The Association is headed by the
Mayor of Paris Mr. Delanoe. I think that the important state visit that the French President is going to pay to Armenia in a week would create an opportunity to continue the negotiations launched today during the official visit of the RA President
and we are confident that both today’s official visit and state visit to
Armenia would give a new impulse to the development of bilateral relations.

Question: Mr. Nalbanidan, in general there is a view that in the near future France will activate its role in the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group regarding the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. In this sense, could you tell us about your impression or assessment of today’s discussions? Can such kind of developments be expected?

Answer: I cannot say that France should be more active as France has always been active in the negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. I would particularly note that there is rather close and good cooperation between the three Co-Chairs on which have made a lot of statements, just have a look at the recent statement made on the level of the Presidents in Deauville, according to which the efforts exerted by Russia, the President of Russia and the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs are fully supported by the United States and France, too.
Similar statements have repeatedly been made and this cooperation really is very productive and all the three Co-Chairing countries have active participation. Surely, as a Co-Chair country, France has an important role and we highly assess the efforts undertaken by France towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, as one of the three Co-Chairs.

Question: If it’s possible, one more question, please. I would like to ask
to present the details on the cooperation in economic sphere, particularly
in the sphere of energy, taking into account the fact that France is a leading country, especially in the sphere of nuclear energy, have any discussions on the future construction of the reactor in Armenia taken place?

Answer: France generally is quite specialized and has great possibilities and experience in the energy sphere, as well as in the spheres of nuclear and renewable energy, and eolian energy sector, as well. Here is not only nuclear energy. But you are quite right that France has a huge experience in nuclear sphere and as we are planning to construct a new reactor, here we can expand the cooperation with France, as well. Why not?