Azerbaijan Impedes the Work of the Minsk Group: French Ambassador to Armenia

France aims to strengthen its relations with Armenia and assist the country in developing and opening up to the world. In an interview with Armenpress on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and France, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the French Republic to Armenia, Anne Louyot, emphasized the significance of Armenian-French relations for both countries.

Ambassador Anne Louyot has only been working in Armenia for six months but has already grown fond of our country. She states, "Armenia is one of my favorite countries in the world." Noting that Armenia has faced numerous complex challenges recently, the French ambassador underscores that Armenia is also a country of great opportunities. Her role is to mobilize all stakeholders in Armenian-French relations to open Armenia to the world and confront its future more positively.

Ambassador Louyot spoke of the positive dynamics in the development of Armenian-French relations in various directions, highlighting that France wishes to further strengthen economic cooperation with Armenia and help the country develop and open up to the world. A key aspect of this could be the ambitious roadmap signed between Armenia and France last December.

Among the sectors of mutual interest, Anne Louyot particularly pointed out education and culture, cutting-edge and high technology, economic cooperation, decentralized intercommunity collaboration, and regional and international cooperation.

The French ambassador also addressed issues regarding the cessation of regional conflicts and peaceful resolution, including the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and the Russia-Ukraine war. According to the ambassador, France, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, wishes to continue its efforts towards a lasting resolution of the Karabakh conflict. However, she noted that since Azerbaijan is obstructing the work of the Minsk Group’s co-chairs, Paris is seeking alternative avenues to ensure Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue, particularly through EU actions.