France Approves Sale of Military Equipment to Armenia
During her visit to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, French Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna announced that France is ready to enter into agreements for the supply of military equipment to the Caucasian country. The announcement was made during a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.
Colonna expressed France's positive response to the possibility of future contracts for the supply of military equipment to Armenia. This equipment is intended to support the country's defense needs. While Colonna did not provide specific details about the type of military equipment, she emphasized that France is approaching this process responsibly and aims to contribute to regional stability, avoiding any escalation of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
France's stance holds significant importance for Armenia, which is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization led by Russia, limiting its options for obtaining military equipment from Western countries. Previously, Armenia had procured significant quantities of Russian weaponry, but complications arose due to Russia's involvement in Ukraine in 2022, resulting in difficulties in fulfilling contracts.
France is known as a traditional ally of Armenia in the Caucasus region and has expressed support for the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh during the conflict with Azerbaijan. Following the conflict, more than 100,000 Armenian residents left Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in a significantly reduced population in the region, estimated at 120,000 residents.
It's worth noting that Nagorno-Karabakh separatists declared the dissolution of the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh on September 28. President Samvel Shahramanyan issued a decree outlining the dissolution of all state institutions and organizations in the Republic of Artsakh by the New Year, effectively ending the existence of the republic. The population of Nagorno-Karabakh, including those residing outside the republic, will have the opportunity to review the terms of reintegration proposed by the Republic of Azerbaijan after the decree comes into effect, allowing individuals to make independent and individual decisions regarding their residence in Nagorno-Karabakh.