French President Emmanuel Macron and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed support for Armenia’s efforts to maintain peace with Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
In a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday, Macron voiced strong support for Armenia’s democratic institutions and Pashinyan’s efforts to achieve peace with Azerbaijan and normalize relations with Türkiye, according to statements by both leaders.
"I reiterated our support for his courageous efforts to make peace with Azerbaijan and normalize relations with Türkiye," Macron said after a phone call with Pashinyan, emphasizing that "peace and opening of borders would be a major development for the whole region." Pashinyan confirmed the conversation, noting that they discussed "key issues on the bilateral, regional & international agenda, including the Armenian government's peace strategy." He thanked Macron for his "personal contribution to strengthening Armenia-France ties."
France, which hosts one of the largest Armenian communities in the world, maintains close ties with Armenia. Under Macron, France had somewhat turbulent relations with Türkiye, owing to disagreements over a series of international issues, although conflicts in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine brought them closer together again. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who received Pashinyan a few weeks ago in his first official bilateral visit, met Macron last week on the sidelines of a NATO summit in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign policy chief on Sunday pledged support for Armenia's democratic reforms and peace efforts during her first official visit to Yerevan, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deeper ties and regional stability. Kaja Kallas met with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, who described EU-Armenia cooperation as "successful" across political, economic and governance sectors. "Armenia has adopted a path of democracy," Khachaturyan said, expressing appreciation for EU support in addressing foreign policy challenges.
Kallas, for her part, underscored the EU's interest in promoting "sustainable peace" in the South Caucasus and highlighted the importance of democratic reforms and resilience. "We discussed deepening of EU-Armenia relations, EU support to reforms and building resilience and prosperity," she said on X. "It is key to ensure peace and stability in the region."
The two sides also discussed cooperation in renewable energy and EU support for justice, anti-corruption and institutional reforms in Armenia.
Khachaturyan reiterated Armenia's intention to pursue good-neighborly relations with all regional actors and emphasized the country's peace-oriented foreign policy.
