Europe must exist in historical and geographical terms, not only within institutional frameworks, and Armenia has a European history.

French President Emmanuel Macron said this at a press conference following his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in response to a journalist’s question about Armenia’s prospects for EU integration and becoming part of a greater Europe.

“Of course, the EU plays an important role when we speak about Europe, with its power, its complexity and its degree of integration. But that does not define everything. Europe is also geography, history and civilisation. We can note that Armenia has a European history. And the European Political Community is precisely the recognition of that greater Europe,” the French president said.

According to him, the key issue is building common foundations. Macron expressed the view that when it comes to defence, security, the fight against trafficking, energy and the protection of democratic regions, this is where the full meaning of the European community lies.

“Both Europe and the South Caucasus were in the past victims of empires. With the creation of the EU, Western Europe seemed to gain immunity against this, and since the 1990s, Central European countries have also joined it. And now this is a shared emancipation. Must there necessarily be integration or EU enlargement? That depends on the choice of each country. This is a very demanding process. I am convinced that we should not wait for it. That is to say, from this very moment, taking into account the situation in the world, we must act. And this is exactly what we have done in recent years. We built a greater Europe, and Armenia has followed this path with us. A European future is the only path that can guarantee peace and balance for Armenia. Europe is a common project,” Macron concluded.