French Minister of Defense Sebastien Lekornny during a meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Minister of Defense of Armenia Suren Papikyan in the capital of Armenia Yerevan, where he arrived on an official visit, announced the readiness of France to provide Armenia with a small air defense system of Malaya, Medium and high range.
During the meeting that was broadcast live on the Armenian government page in YouTube, Prime Minister Pashinyan touched the relations of defense cooperation with France.
He noted that the visit of Lekorny was the first visit of the Minister of Defense of France and that the official Paris was one of the first countries that positively reacted to the decision of Armenia to diversify their guidelines in defense and security.
The parties also discussed reforms in the Armenian army, military training, combat readiness and Armenian-French cooperation in other areas.
According to the official Armenian news agency Armenpress, the Minister of France Lexorny also negotiated with the Minister of Defense of Armenia Papikyan.
During the meeting, cooperation between the two countries was discussed and agreements in defense and security were signed.
At a press conference after the meeting, the Armenian minister said that cooperation with France was not directed against another country and that Russia and other partners should respect this position: “We have the right to cooperate both with France and Iran, and everyone should It is known. Our French and Iranian partners respect this cooperation. The French weapon will be conducted by the French side, ”he said.
The Minister of Defense of France to Lexorny, in turn, did not clarify which additional weapons and ammunition would be provided to Armenia. “If Armenia needs air defense systems, then missiles of small, medium and high range will be provided,” the minister said.
He stated that the first batch of night vision binocles was delivered to Armenia on February 22 in accordance with the signed agreement (during Papikyan’s visit to Paris), and noted that Bastion -like military armored vehicles will be sent in the coming days.
The French Minister said that the Armenian cadets, officers and non-commissioned officers will be trained in military schools in his country, and French weapons will be conducted by France.
– defense cooperation between France and Armenia
France and Armenia signed an agreement on the supply of weapons and military assistance in October 2023.
Personnel of the delivery of Bastion armored personnel carriers to Armenia were published on social networks.
At a meeting with Pashinyan in the Champs Elysees on February 21, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Paris would continue to support Armenia in the development of strategic infrastructure and provide military equipment in the spirit of responsibility, without striving for the escalation of tension. “