Defence Minister: France to provide Armenia with weapons

The French Defence Ministry has said that France opened a military mission in Armenia and considers its work effective.

“French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said during the discussion of the military budget for 2024 in the Senate that the operational and specific measures of cooperation with the Armenian Defence Ministry will be developed this week,” Caliber.Az reports citing Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s family newspaper “Haykakan Zhamanak”.

During his opening speech Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Defence and Armed Forces of the French parliament Cedric Perrin said that the threat looming over Armenia is among the pressing international problems.

In response, Lecornu stated that he was following the ongoing processes in Armenia. There is an atmosphere of mutual trust with the Armenian Defence Ministry. He reminded that France has opened a defence mission in Armenia and proceeding from information attacks on the appointed military attache, he concludes that all this is effective.

“President Macron has clearly stated that the sale of defensive weapons is on our agenda as our negotiations with Armenia are based on this. I will not say more about the type of weapons we are talking about to avoid pressure for all this to be done, but some weapons can be defensive and primarily serve to protect lives and ensure the security of Armenia,” Lecornu noted.

Lecornu also told senators that he would contact the Armenian defence minister next week to finalise operational and specific measures.