Asbarez: As Armenia and France Sign Strategic Partnership Accord, Macron Denie

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sign strategic partnership agreement in Yerevan on May 5

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Emmanuel Macron of France signed a joint strategic partnership declaration on Tuesday as the French leader wound down his state visit to Armenia.

Macron’s state visit coincided with his participation in the European Political Community summit, which was held in Yerevan on Monday.

According to the declaration, the two countries agreed to elevate bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership based on sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, democratic values, human rights and the rule of law.

Under the agreement, Armenia and France pledged to expand political dialogue at all levels and hold regular consultations between their foreign ministries. France also expressed support for Armenia’s closer ties with the European Union, efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, resilience and sovereignty, and initiatives aimed at increasing European investment in Armenia.

A major section of the declaration focuses on security and defense cooperation. The two countries agreed to deepen cooperation in defense, military education, military-technical and military-technological fields on a long-term basis. They also pledged to continue high-level strategic dialogue between their defense institutions and expand cooperation in peacekeeping missions, including within the framework of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy.

The declaration also envisages expanded cooperation in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, countering disinformation, internal security, migration and disaster risk management. Armenia and France additionally agreed to strengthen joint efforts against terrorism, organized crime and illegal trafficking.

In the economic sphere, the two countries pledged to deepen cooperation in infrastructure, transport, agriculture, healthcare, innovation, renewable energy, semiconductors, aerospace, environmental protection and financial services. The declaration also supports regional connectivity projects, including Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative and the TRIPP project, alongside the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.

In his remarks at a joint press conference, Macron lavished praise on Pashinyan, saying Armenia has “consolidated its democracy” and is now “resolutely and courageously moving towards Europe.”

Macron’s admitted to endorsing Pashinyan ahead of the June 7 elections but insisted that this does not amount to the kind of foreign election meddling which the European Union accuses Russia of resorting to.

“You should distinguish between an interference that manipulates information, disrupts the democratic life of a country in a covert way and openly taking a political position,” Macron said, answering a question from a reporter. “So I commit to full support for a reliable partner of the last eight years as president of the French,” Macron said citing his support for Moldova’s president last year, when the EU deployed similar missions as it is in Armenia ahead of the eletions.

“I totally commit to defend Europe and also defend the interests of Europe and France by coming here,” he went on. “But this is not the same thing as the interference through information manipulation, media ownership, spread of false information and destabilization of the rule of law.”

The French leader said that his support for Pashinyan was not the same as manipulation through the media and falsifications, which aim to destabilize the situation in Armenia.

He added that one cannot talk about interference, because it is “overt interference,” but there is interference by foreign agents acting on the orders of Moscow and they are trying to undermine democracy.

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