ArmInfo.For Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, it will be a great honor to receive French President Emmanuel Macron in the autumn 2018, who will pay a state visit to Armenia, after which he will attend the summit of Francophonie. On the eve, during the meeting with the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Nikol Pashinyan himself stated.
According to him, according to the press service of the Armenian government, active preparations are being made in Armenia for this important event. The Prime Minister highly appreciated the current level of the Armenian-French relations and stressed the mutual warm attitude. "I am confident that the dialogue between our countries, including between governments, parliaments and local self-government bodies, will continue with the same intensity." The French business in our country is not represented at the proper level. "Today there are all prerequisites and conditions for bringing trade and economic relations to the level of political, "- said the Prime Minister. Nikol Pashinyan thanked the French side for assistance in the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He highly appreciated the role of France as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, confirming Armenia's readiness to continue negotiations in a constructive atmosphere.
Jean-Yves Le Drian congratulated Nikol Pashinyan on his election to the post of prime minister, as well as on the 100th anniversary of the First Republic, noted that the Armenian-French relations are rooted deep into the centuries. "Our country is always near you and Emmanuelle Macron will personally speak about this during his visit to Armenia," the minister said. He expressed confidence that the summit of Francophonia will be held at a high level, and also stressed the importance of intensifying economic relations.
Speaking about the Karabakh conflict, he stressed that France is aware of its responsibility as a co- chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group. He stressed that the conflict should be resolved exclusively through peaceful negotiations, and added that violence or the use of force can not be considered a possibility of settlement. The sides noted the importance of developing Armenia-EU cooperation within the framework of the Agreement on Comprehensive and Enhanced Cooperation. They pointed to the importance of early ratification of the document by the EU countries and the beginning of negotiations on easing the visa regime. The interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the cooperation in the spheres of education and culture, touched on the holding of new elections in Armenia, the reforms of the Electoral Code.