«They Are Also Our Victims»: Retayo to Pashinyan

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has received a delegation led by Bruno Retayo, the president of the "Republicans" faction in the French Senate, who is also the founder and president of the group on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and the president of the group on Eastern Christian issues.

As noted in a statement released by the Armenian government, the Prime Minister welcomed the Senate delegation's visit to Armenia and highly appreciated France's support for our country during this difficult period. The head of the government expressed separate gratitude to the Senate for adopting important resolutions regarding Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

"This time you are here on the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a significant and symbolic day for us. As I mentioned in my message today, this is the most opportune moment to reflect on the past, present, and future," said the Prime Minister.

Bruno Retayo, in turn, noted: "Today, on April 24, we stand by the Armenian people and pay tribute to the memory of the innocent victims. They are also our victims because this is a tragedy for all of humanity." The gentleman also reaffirmed France's support and solidarity with Armenia in addressing existing issues and overcoming challenges.

The interlocutors addressed the humanitarian crisis created in Nagorno-Karabakh due to the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor, Azerbaijan's gross violations of the November 9, 2020 agreement by establishing an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, and issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In the context of ensuring security and stability in the region, the effective operation of the European Union observer mission in Armenia was emphasized.