Pashinyan and Macron’s Paris meeting The losers’ reunion tour

In politics, symbolism plays a significant role. October 3, marked four years since the Azerbaijani army raised the national flag over Sugovushan during the 44-day war. Thus, October 3 is a day that is remembered with pride in Azerbaijan, as the army marched victoriously toward its main objective, liberating one settlement after another and ultimately forcing Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to sign the Trilateral Statement on the cessation of hostilities on the night of November 10, which was essentially an act of capitulation by the occupying country.

The defeat in the 44-day war was painful not only for the leadership of Armenia, which provoked the outbreak of hostilities by all possible and even impossible means, but also for the global Armenian community. Among those who justifiably considered themselves the losers was undoubtedly French President Emmanuel Macron. He actively struggled to prevent Azerbaijan from reclaiming its territories. In doing so, Macron shamelessly employed the blatantly false phrase about Azerbaijan “recapturing Nagorno-Karabakh,” as if Azerbaijan were encroaching on someone else's land rather than acting within the framework of the UN Charter and the unfulfilled resolutions of the UN Security Council. Yes, Azerbaijan had to personally ensure the implementation of these resolutions, contrary to the plans of Macron's France.

Azerbaijan achieved its goal, fully restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The current head of the French state rightfully views Azerbaijan's triumph as his personal failure. Yesterday, the two main figures who attempted to oppose Azerbaijan's military-political victory met in Paris. Yes, Nikol Pashinyan visited France for a working visit.

Considering the recently revealed preferences of the Armenian Prime Minister, it was somewhat surprising that he didn’t ride a bicycle to the Élysée Palace. However, before his visit there, Pashinyan also stopped by the Hôtel de Matignon in Paris, where he was greeted by the newly appointed French Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Barnier stated that he has a special relationship with Armenia and the Armenian people. He wasn't lying. We remember the manifestation of Monsieur Barnier's “special relationship” with the Armenian people, which was evident in December 2021 when he, along with French presidential candidate Valérie Pécresse, made an illegal visit to the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan, delighting the leaders of the Karabakh junta. Most of them, symbolically, are now awaiting justice in Baku. It is clear that Michel Barnier cannot be perceived in Azerbaijan as an impartial figure. Accordingly, his conclusions regarding the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the ongoing processes in the South Caucasus region, do not interest anyone in Azerbaijan. Thus, while Pashinyan did visit the Hôtel de Matignon, it did not bring the conclusion of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia any closer.

It did not come any closer after Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to the Élysée Palace, where he was received by Emmanuel Macron. The level of support for Macron among his fellow citizens has dropped to its lowest point in seven years of his presidency. Yes, 75% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with Macron’s performance. The French president’s approval rating remains high only in... Armenia.

There is a clear explanation for this. After Azerbaijan fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Macron's France, seemingly unleashed, rushed to increase not only its political but also financial and military support for the country that had occupied 20% of Azerbaijan's territory for nearly 30 years, committing a colossal number of crimes in the process.

In Yerevan, there are clearly expectations for continued support. However, analyzing the results of Pashinyan's trip to Paris reveals that nothing new was discussed—nothing that had not been previously addressed between the leaders of Armenia and France. It was evident that Pashinyan, like a student before his teacher, was reporting to Macron on the status of the negotiation process with Azerbaijan. The only missing element for a complete picture was Emmanuel patting Nikol on the cheek, as the French president might have referred to him as Nicolas.

Yes, for Pashinyan himself, the trip was intriguing from the perspective of a provincial who, thanks to his rise to power, finally had the opportunity to see France. So, he couldn’t resist taking a selfie in front of the new Armenian embassy building in Paris, emphasizing that it had once been the residence of former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. In other words, the historical significance of the site was likely novel to Nikol Pashinyan, while it has long been familiar to members of the global political elite. However, what else could one expect from a visit between two losers?