Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan and French Armed Forces Minister Sebastian Lecornu signed an agreement on bilateral cooperation on 23 October in Paris, the Armenian Ministry of Defense press service reported.
As noted in the report, during the meeting issues of Armenian-French cooperation in the field of defense, as well as issues of regional security were discussed.
The ministers summed up the progress of work on the implementation of the agreements that were reached in September 2022 and in June this year in Paris, and also outlined new opportunities for developing cooperation. In particular, areas of cooperation include the acquisition of defense systems, military education and retraining, exchange of experience, as well as other issues of mutual interest.
The parties highly appreciated the current level of cooperation and expressed their readiness to make new efforts for further development. The official meeting was followed by a joint statement to the press, during which the Armenian Defense Minister expressed gratitude to the French side for its comprehensive assistance in the development of cooperation in the defense sector.
To note, on 22 October Sebastien Lecornu told the French publication Le Parisien that at a meeting in Paris an agreement on the supply of French weapons to Armenia would be formalized.
“Armenia must be allowed to protect its civilian population and secure its borders. Tomorrow we will formalize Armenia’s acquisition of a certain amount of weapons from French manufacturers, in particular, by signing a contract that will allow the country to ensure the protection of its skies,” the minister said.
Reuters cited on 23 October Lecornu saying that France will deliver GM200 radar stations and a memorandum is signed on the future delivery of French Mistral short-range air defence system.
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