Armenia, France to sign document on strategic partnership 

ArmInfo.  A document on strategic partnership between the two countries will be signed during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Armenia. This was  announced by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during his toast  at a dinner in honor of the French leader.

According to the government's press service, Pashinyan noted in his  speech that today marks a very important and significant event. "We  are dealing with a situation where the President of a country that  has traditionally and loyally been friends with our country,  including my personal friend and comrade, today's event has a double  significance. I have had many occasions to highlight President  Macron's enormous contribution to the current level of  Franco-Armenian relations, which we will cement with the adoption of  a document on strategic partnership between Armenia and France as an  important outcome of President Macron's state visit.

But I also want to emphasize that the current stage we are going  through today, which enjoys the support of the people of the Republic  of Armenia, and which is undoubtedly the right and promising path for  the development of the Republic of Armenia, where the country has  finally overcome the problem of survival and entered the logic of  development. Today, we are building a new country with a new logic, a  new ideology, a new architecture based on the ideology of "Real  Armenia," on our best traditions and values, which, incidentally, I  believe, became evident and noticeable today during the opening  ceremony of the European Political Community summit, where our  history and our value system were highlighted. and were the basis of  everything," the RA Prime Minister noted.

He called on those gathered to realise that in the current situation,  the role of the French President is decisive. "The architecture of  our reality and regional strategy today was essentially formed during  the quadripartite meeting held in Prague on October 6, 2022. You  know, those people who were not present at that meeting, with all due  respect, I apologize, but I cannot say that I know President Macron  fully and deeply, because what I saw that day, such conviction, such  dedication, such principle, such consistency, such steadfastness,  such determination that history must be written, I have not read in  any book. If someone had told me about the events of that day, I  would not have believed it. Yesterday, I also had the opportunity to  tell President Macron that, looking back, I still find it difficult  to believe everything I saw with my own eyes, everything I heard  personally. Today, there were people in the room who were also there,  and they will confirm all of this. This was the pillar on which our  reality today, today's world and today's perspective are based, which  we are building every day We appreciate it more and more.

It's clear that in President Macron we are dealing with a statesman  of the French Republic, but this meeting and the events of that day  clearly and unequivocally demonstrate to me that Emmanuel Macron is  also a statesman of the Republic of Armenia. The order presented to  President Macron today, and if there is any ounce of politeness in  this decision, it only captures a small part of its essence. In  essence, the Republic of Armenia expresses its gratitude with this  highest award for President Macron's outstanding services to the  Republic of Armenia, to Armenia's statehood, security, sovereignty,  and independence. Before that, before October 6, 2022, after October  6, 2022, when it seemed that the Republic of Armenia no longer had  hope and support, and there was no force or person who could support  us, we felt the hands of President Macron at the most difficult  moment, and he held our hand tightly, we held his hand tightly, and  today our numerous successes, from the strengthening of the army to  foreign policy, our democratic achievements, economic successes, some  of which, by the way, will also be reflected in the results of  President Macron's state visit, are an expression of his personal  contribution. "During my eight years as Prime Minister of the  Republic of Armenia, I cannot recall a single instance where I shared  with President Macron any concerns or questions regarding the state  interests of the Republic of Armenia and did not receive a response  from him in the most objective and concrete form, expressed in  concrete, tangible, verifiable, and visible decisions and steps," the  head of the Armenian government emphasized.

It should be noted that an awards ceremony took place before the  dinner. By decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia, French  President Emmanuel Macron was awarded the Order of Glory for his  significant personal contribution to strengthening and developing the  traditionally friendly relations between the Republic of Armenia and  the French Republic, as well as to expanding and deepening  cooperation between the two countries. By decision of French  President Emmanuel Macron, RA President Vahagn Khachaturyan and RA  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan were awarded the Grand Cross of the  Legion of Honor. This award is the highest degree of the Legion of  Honor. established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.