French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on a visit to Armenia on Tuesday that Paris agreed to deliver military equipment to the small South Caucasus nation.
Colonna went to Armenia after Azerbaijani forces took control of Nagorno-Karabakh. They made a deal with Armenia for future contracts to send military gear, helping Armenia protect itself. She talked about security and defense in the meeting.
The French leader in diplomacy didn’t share specific information. She mentioned, ‘I can’t give many details. But there are already agreed-upon things between Armenia and France that are currently happening,’ Colonna explained.
There’s another set of things we can do with Armenia,” she said. She emphasized that neither country wants things to get worse in the area.
France, with a large Armenian community, has typically helped mediate the long-standing disagreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan about Karabakh.
In a hospital in Yerevan, Colonna also met with burn victims, many hurt in a fuel depot blast last month in Nagorno Karabakh.
After the visit, Colonna assured, ‘You can trust us for ongoing support.’ She pledged that France would care for four victims being transported this weekend.
I’m proud that our country is your nearest and most steadfast ally,” she expressed to the reporters.
Armenian Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan stated, “This aid, both in terms of humanity and practical help, is incredibly valuable.”
Over 100,000 refugees have moved from Karabakh to Armenia due to an Azerbaijani military operation last month.
In the midst of this mass movement, a huge blast occurred on the edge of Stepanakert, the rebel-held area, resulting in the loss of 170 lives and leaving hundreds wounded.
SOURCE:FRANCE24