On September 16, the visit of the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Stéphane Sejourné to Armenia continued. The tête-à-tête meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan commenced.

The enlarged meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and France took place at MFA of Armenia during which a wide range of issues were discussed: bilateral relations between Armenia and France, Armenia-EU partnership agenda as well as issues related to regional stability and security. 

The meeting was followed by the joint press conference of Ararat Mirzoyan and Stéphane Séjourné: Minister Mirzoyan’s speech and response to a journalist’s question is presented below.

"Dear Minister, esteemed friend,

Dear colleagues,

With great pleasure, I welcome you and your delegation to the Republic of Armenia.

On numerous occasions, including from this platform, I have had the opportunity to speak about the warm friendship and strong partnership between Armenia and France, highlighting the privileged nature of these relations. I wish to add that a profound driving force sustains the foundation of these relations: the rooted friendship between our peoples and, historically, between our nations. This strong partnership extends across all levels - between heads of state, governments, individual ministries, and parliaments - and spans various sectors, from politics and culture to the economy. I am delighted to witness this agenda expand, with new dimensions added to our cooperation.

I would like to highlight, in particular, the area of economic development and, more broadly, the strengthening of Armenia’s resilience. Yesterday, dear colleagues, we had the opportunity to visit the Vedi Reservoir, the construction of which is nearing completion and will soon be operational. This is a concrete and tangible example of the partnership and friendship between Armenia and France. However, it is one of the many initiatives on our agenda, and we are hopeful that similar manifestations of cooperation will emerge soon. 

I want to mention the steadfast support of France in democratic path and deepening of cooperation with the European Union. As you already know, we officially launched the dialogue on visa liberalization with the EU. A decision was made and Armenia will receive support under the European Peace Facility. You all know that the EU Monitoring Mission has been monitoring the Armenia-Azerbaijan border for over two years. This and numerous other initiatives I didn’t mention or are still in preparation have been made possible including with the strong support of France as our partnership is not limited to the bilateral agenda.

The next issue is regional stability. Once again, I would like to reaffirm Armenia’s steadfast commitment to the peace agenda. As you know, we have submitted our latest proposals, which exclusively reflect the text agreed upon between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Many partner states during various stages of this process have been involved. However, I would like to emphasize the support of France in this process, for the establishment of peace and to our vision of peace. I would like to express our gratitude and state that the support is crucial and of great importance. 

To sum up, I want to reiterate that we are ready to sign the peace agreement at the earliest opportunity, based on the text already agreed upon between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Agreement, according to which, the two states will reaffirm the recognition of territorial integrity of both countries based on the Alma-Ata Declaration. This document, among other provisions, defines the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan as they existed during the Soviet Union and at the time of its collapse.

Indeed, we have also touched upon our cooperation in various multilateral platforms, where France has consistently demonstrated its support. There are still tasks to be tackled on the agenda as well, and in the near future, we will see developments in this direction as well.

I extend my gratitude, dear friend, for your visit, the conversation we shared, and our strong cooperation overall."

The start of the two-day visit of the Foreign Minister of France to Armenia