French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced Sunday that she would travel to Armenia on Tuesday, where she will “reaffirm France’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia.” “I will travel to #Armenia on Tuesday,” she said in a short message posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The minister “will reiterate on this occasion France’s commitment alongside Armenia” and “reaffirm France’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia and its extreme vigilance with regard to respect of these,” specified the Quai d’Orsay in a written statement. The head of French diplomacy, who had already visited Armenia on April 28, will be received by the Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinian.
Visit to refugees
“She will then go with her counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, to the Armenian refugees who fled Nagorno Karabakh, after the military offensive launched by Azerbaijan on September 19 and nine months of illegal blockade (of the Lachin corridor), under the Russia’s complicit look,” adds the ministry. Catherine Colonna will study in particular “with the Armenian authorities the concrete modalities of strengthening our cooperation in all areas”.
The minister announced this week to increase aid to Armenia to 12.5 million euros. “Emergency medical aid was also handed over to the Armenian authorities on September 29, intended in particular for the care of refugees and victims of the explosion of a fuel depot in Nagorno Karabakh on September 25. evening “.
The Armenian separatists of Nagorno-Karabakh capitulated last week, facing a lightning offensive by Azerbaijan which left nearly 600 dead in its wake. Since then, more than 100,000 Armenians from this mountainous region under Azerbaijani sovereignty have fled and found refuge in Armenia.