Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived on a working visit to the French Republic on October 3-5.

Today, the Armenian Prime Minister will have meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

Nikol Pashinyan will also participate in the regular summit of the International Organization of Francophonie.

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the Armenia-France multi-sector agenda, the importance of continuous implementation of consistent steps aimed at the development and strengthening of friendly relations was emphasized.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the constant support of friendly France and
underlined Armenia's readiness to implement steps aimed at the development of all spheres of bilateral interest.

The French President reaffirmed his unconditional support to Armenia, as well as his readiness for consistent development of France-Armenia bilateral relations.

Next, the Prime Minister referred to the results of the discussions on the draft peace treaty with Azerbaijan, noting that 80 percent of the points of the draft have been agreed upon and Armenia is ready to sign the treaty based on it and continue further discussions. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the steps aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region, expressing his belief that the signing of the agreement will contribute to the solution of this issue.

Issues related to the "Crossroads of Peace" project of the Armenian Government were also discussed. Nikol Pashinyan stressed that Armenia is ready to unblock regional channels based on the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction, reciprocity and equality.

Emmanuel Macron expressed his country's support for the steps of the Armenian Government aimed at peace and stability, and at the same time welcomed the "Crossroads of Peace" project.

Reference was also made to the social problems of people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Armenian Government's housing provision program. In this regard, Nikol Pashinyan and Emmanuel Macron emphasized the consistent support of the international community in addressing and solving the existing problems.

The Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of France also discussed issues related to Armenia-EU cooperation. Nikol Pashinyan noted that he expects the continued support of friendly France in Armenia-EU cooperation.

At the same time, the Prime Minister of Armenia highly appreciated the role of the EU mission in Armenia and emphasized the important role of France in starting the visa liberalization dialogue with the EU and supporting Armenia through the European Peace Facility.

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The meeting between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and newly appointed French Prime Minister Michel Bariner took place at the Hôtel Matignon in Paris.

The French Prime Minister welcomed Nikol Pashinyan's visit to France and emphasized his commitment to contribute to the consistent development of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. Michel Barnier noted that he has a special attitude towards Armenia and the Armenian people and is ready to contribute to the continuous strengthening of bilateral relations in the future. He fondly remembered the opening of the French Embassy in Armenia in 1995 with his participation.

Nikol Pashinyan once again congratulated Mr. Barnier on his appointment as the Prime Minister of France and wished him success. The Prime Minister thanked his colleague for his deep commitment to the friendship between the two peoples and his personal significant contribution to strengthening the exceptional relations between Armenia and France.

The interlocutors highly appreciated the intensive dialogue between Armenia and France, stressing the importance of developing cooperation in economy, energy, digital technologies, urban development, agriculture, tourism, healthcare.

Nikol Pashinyan noted that one of the priorities of the Armenian Government is the development and diversification of the Armenian economy, adding that he attaches great importance to the presence of French companies in Armenia. According to the Prime Minister, the Armenian side expects the participation of French companies and investors, particularly in the implementation of projects in the fields of infrastructure, nuclear and renewable energy, agriculture and water management.

The Prime Ministers of Armenia and France also greatly emphasized the holding of the second conference "Ambitions Arménie-France", which can become a unique tool for promoting multi-sectoral cooperation.

The interlocutors also emphasized the need to develop decentralized cooperation aimed at expanding and strengthening ties between regions.

The interlocutors also referred to the latest developments in the discussions on the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the processes taking place in the South Caucasus region.

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Centquatre-Paris cultural center in Paris, where the village of Francophonie operates within the framework of the summit of the International Organization of Francophonie.

Nikol Pashinyan visited the Armenian pavilion opened in the village and got acquainted with the presented exhibits. Those in charge expressed their belief that they will be able to present Armenia, its history and culture in the best possible way to the visitors of the pavilion. In the pavilion, it is also possible to make a virtual visit to Armenia.

On October 4-5, the regular summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie will take place in France.

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to France Hasmik Tolmajyan, visited the new building acquired for the Armenian Embassy.

It is located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, the building is historical, it belonged to the 3rd president of the 5th French Republic, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. The Government of Armenia allocated 23 million euros to purchase the building.

The current building of the Armenian Embassy in France does not belong to the Republic of Armenia, it is used free of charge, provided by contract in 1995.

As a result of the development of Armenia-France relations and the expansion of functions, the current building conditions are not satisfactory, because the permanent representations of Armenia in UNESCO and La Francophonie are also located in the embassy.

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is on a working visit to France, took part in the opening ceremony of the 19th Summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie in the city of Villers-Cotterêts, the new international town of the French language. The 19th Summit of the Francophonie is being held in France this year for the first time in 33 years. More than 100 high-ranking guests are participating in the summit.

High-ranking guests were met and welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Ms. Brigitte Macron and Secretary General of the International Organization of Francophonie Louise Mushikiwabo.

Next, the leaders of the OIF member states posed for a family photo, and at the opening of the summit, Emmanuel Macron, the President of Tunisia Kais Saied, OIF Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo delivered speeches. Within the framework of the event, the chairmanship of the OIF was transferred from Tunisia to France.

On the first day of the summit, discussions were held under the titles "Challenges facing Francophone citizens in the digital age" and "Application of artificial intelligence in education".

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took part in the dinner given to the participants of the 19th summit of the International Organization of Francophonie on behalf of French President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs. Brigitte Macron at the Élysée Palace.

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Within the framework of the 19th summit of the International Organization of Francophonie, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

The interlocutors referred to issues related to the further development and expansion of Armenia-Belgium cooperation.

The sides exchanged views on the security situation in the South Caucasus region.

Prime Minister Pashinyan referred to the discussions of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty and the latest developments. Considering the aggressive rhetoric of Azerbaijan in recent days as unacceptable, the Prime Minister emphasized the commitment of the Armenian Government to the peace agenda.

The Prime Minister of Belgium highlighted the steps aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region, welcoming the steps taken by the Armenian Government in that direction.

The sides exchanged ideas on the Government's "Crossroads of Peace" project and its principles aimed at unblocking regional communication channels.

Nikol Pashinyan and Alexander De Croo also discussed the development of Armenia-European Union cooperation. The Prime Minister of Belgium expressed the readiness of his Government to contribute to that process.

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Within the framework of the 19th summit of the International Organization of Francophonie, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Prime Minister of Canada noted that it is always a pleasure for him to meet with Armenian leader Nikol Pashinyan and added that today's meeting is a good opportunity to talk about the dgrowing relations between the two countries, people-to-people contacts, and the strong Armenian community in Canada. Justin Trudeau highlighted the opening of the embassy in Armenia, which gives the parties wide opportunities for cooperation.

Prime Minister Pashinyan also highlighted the importance of the opening of the Canadian embassy in Yerevan and expressed his belief that it will give a new impetus to the further development of bilateral relations. Nikol Pashinyan added that today's meeting provides a good opportunity to share important developments in the region, the process of democratic agenda in Armenia, the security and economic situation. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the support of the Government of Canada to the democratic reforms of Armenia and expressed hope that this political support will be transformed into the development of economic cooperation.

Next, the interlocutors referred to the developments taking place in the South Caucasus region, the results of discussions on the draft of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty, the possibilities of unblocking regional communication channels. In this context, Prime Minister Pashinyan presented the Armenian Government's "Crossroads of Peace" project, emphasizing that Armenia is ready for unblocking based on the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction, equality and reciprocity.

Justin Trudeau welcomed the "Crossroads of Peace" project and emphasized the need to implement consistent measures aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region.

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the plenary sessions of the International Organization of Francophonie in Paris.

The works started with the welcome speech of French President Emmanuel Macron. Agenda items, programs and procedures of the summit were discussed and approved. In particular, applications for membership to the organization or change of status were discussed. Next, the president of the Ministerial Conference of the Organization of Francophonie made a report on the work of the 45th session of the ministerial conference. The report on the activities of the Secretary General of the organization was also presented.

A plenary session on "Creating, innovating and making initiatives in French for youth employment" was held. In his speech, Nikol Pashinyan referred to the steps taken to spread the French language among young people in Armenia, the implementation of programs in cooperation with international partners. The Prime Minister also participated in the closed-door session on the theme "International Political Situation: Transformed Multilateral Policy", during which he made a speech.