France Pledges to Continue Defense Support to Armenia, Including Air Defense

France on Tuesday said it will continue to support Armenia’s effort to expand its defense capabilities, specifically its air defense.

“We continue the work to support Armenia in its defense effort – on advice and training as well as on equipment, particularly in the area of air defense,” France’s Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced in a social media post after he met with his Armenian counterpart, Suren Papikyan, on Tuesday in Paris.

Papikyan and Lecornu discussed the current level of cooperation between their two countries in the defense sector, according to a statement by Armenia’s Defense Ministry.

As a result of a defense cooperation agreement between Paris and Yerevan, France has delivered military hardware to Armenia to advance its defensive capabilities.

During the meeting, Papikyan underscored the importance of the steady implementation of previously reached agreements with France, as well as the significance of new agreements to be achieved during this meeting.

Both parties reaffirmed that the cooperation between Armenia and France is set on a long-term institutional basis.

Papikyan’s visit to France also included a meeting on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron’s special military adviser.

Papikyan also met with the chairman of the foreign affairs and armed services committee of the French Senate, Cédric Perrin.

According to the social media post by Papikyan, during the meeting, they discussed issues on bilateral defense cooperation.

“I emphasized the high level of cooperation between the two countries and underscored the prospects for further development, highlighting that the achievements have been made possible due to the Senate’s continuous support,” Papikyan said. “In turn, Cédric Perrin reaffirmed the importance of the Senate’s support in advancing cooperation in the defense sector.”

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