At a press conference in Yerevan, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna expressed her concerns over the displacement in Artsakh, Also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, and highlighted the combined actions of Russia and Azerbaijan. She labeled these actions as crimes and discussed the rights of Artsakh’s indigenous majority. During a subsequent meeting with Armenia’s Foreign Minister, defense and security were primary topics. Colonna confirmed that France has approved a future military equipment supply agreement with Armenia to bolster its defense.
She reiterated France’s commitment to Armenia by stating that her visit symbolized the country’s vigilance towards any threats to Armenia’s territorial integrity.
In a recent meeting in Yerevan, the French and Iranian ambassadors discussed the current situation in Armenia and regional events. Both countries are vocal about maintaining Armenia’s constitutional territory and are against any geopolitical border shifts. The meeting also touched upon security coordination and logistics.
Russia, meanwhile, has not followed through on arms supplies to Armenia, nor has it refunded the paid amounts. Instead, Russia reportedly transferred a significant amount of weaponry, previously seized from Artsakh’s armed forces, to the Ukrainian front. There are also indications of Russia relocating a large portion of the armament from the 102nd Gyumri base in Armenia, mirroring actions at its bases in Tajikistan.
Armenia has a weapons agreement with India, but logistical issues have led to delays in supply.
Colonna’s announcement holds significant political and military weight. Being a key player in global high-tech weapons manufacturing and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, France’s involvement might reshape the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan and Turkey. This intervention could also modernize the Armenian military.
However, there are concerns that the Armenian government might hinder this initiative, given past disagreements with France and President Macron. Despite addressing “rights and security” issues in Artsakh, the Armenian government seems to have shifted its focus to the international community, emphasizing the “territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia” while seemingly neglecting its duty to safeguard its citizens and land.
incomplete-username on October 6th, 2023 at 17:21 UTC »
Another disaster on the russian foreign interests front, i dont see why the other CSTO members bother with the sharadd
Magicalsandwichpress on October 6th, 2023 at 13:39 UTC »
How is France going to get their weapon into Armenia. I get the impression article is hinting at Iran, if so the author have more imagination than commonsense.
Edit: Let me further clarify my position. The European white knight angle is pure fantasy. Armenia is landlocked between Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey and Georgia. 2 are outright hostile. Iran is more interested in leveraging the conflict to expand her influence than sticking her neck out. Georgia as so many commentators hope to offer friendly transit is dominant financially by Azerbaijan and militarily by Russia. There is no help coming for Armenia, permanently settle the dispute, offer to pay a price that would bind Azerbaijan to Armenian interest. Things can and always do get worse, take the L and live to fight another day.
vigoave on October 6th, 2023 at 11:27 UTC »
If we compare the weaponry of the Armenian army with that of Azerbaijan, it's like going into battle with a rifle from World War II against a modern tank. And if we compare it with the Russian, Turkish, Israeli, and Pakistani armies, which collectively have been the aggressors against Armenia, it's like fighting with stones and sticks against multiple launch rocket systems. Considering that a renewed aggression against Armenia is highly probable after the concession of Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, the rearmament of the Armenian army makes sense. It's commendable that France is willing to help Armenia during these challenging times. However, throughout reading the article, I had the same suspicions outlined in its last paragraph. Specifically, the puppet regime in Armenia, established by the Kremlin which is aligned with Turkey and Azerbaijan, might indeed sabotage the French initiative.