France Ready to Deliver Weapons to Armenia

YEREVAN — France is ready to deliver weapons to Armenia to help the South Caucasus state counter threats to its territorial integrity, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said during a visit to Yerevan late on Tuesday.

“France has given its agreement to the conclusion of future contracts with Armenia which will allow the delivery of military equipment to Armenia so that it can ensure its defense,” Colonna told a joint news conference with her Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan.

She declined to shed light on those contracts, saying only “there are things that were already agreed between Armenia and France and that are in progress.”

The French government has condemned Azerbaijan’s September 19-20 military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh that paved the way for the forest displaced of virtually entire Armenian population. President Emmanuel Macron suggested last week that Baku might now attack Armenia as well.

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said afterwards that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia are an “absolute objective for us.” Lecornu did not rule out arms supplies or other military aid to Armenia, saying that Paris is already examining Yerevan’s defense “needs.”

Speaking after talks with Mirzoyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Colonna noted that Azerbaijan has “continuously armed itself to take action,” using its oil revenues and Turkey’s military assistance.

She said Paris has also proposed that the European Union expand its monitoring mission along Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan and help Yerevan from a special fund designed to boost EU partners’ defense capacity.

Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonian revealed in July that the Armenian government requested “technical assistance” from the European Peace Facility (EPF) but was rebuffed by Brussels.