On April 9, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the delegation led by Martine Vassal, President of the Departmental Council of Bouches-du-Rhône and Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis of France.

Minister Mirzoyan emphasised that the relations between Armenia and France, considered privileged in their essence, are developing today with a broad agenda and new directions aimed at strengthening Armenia՛s resilience. In the context of the latter, both sides emphasised the importance of further acceleration of cooperation in the field of economy and through the expansion of business ties.

The interlocutors also touched upon the opportunities for decentralised cooperation, for which good foundations have been formed, among which is the participation of the Bouches-du-Rhône department in health programs in the regions of Armenia.

Issues on the Armenia-EU partnership agenda were discussed at the meeting. Minister Mirzoyan emphasised that Armenia, being a part of the European civilisation and having an agenda of democratic reforms, significantly deepens relations with the European Union and its member states.

The security situation in the South Caucasus and the existing challenges were touched upon. Minister Mirzoyan emphasised the importance of mentioning the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration and reaffirming the mutual recognition of the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the text of the statement adopted as a result of the quadrilateral meeting held in Prague in October 2022 with the participation of the French President. The Minister of the Foreign Affairs of Armenia briefed on the recent discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the main issues that still remain unresolved.

Addressing the rights and needs of Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, the support provided to the Republic of Armenia for this purpose, as well as humanitarian issues were also touched upon.