French President Emmanuel Macron has thrown his support behind Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who faces a tough re-election battle next month against pro-Russia parties. Macron stated that Armenia's future lies with Europe, accusing Russia of abandoning the country after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
During a state visit to Yerevan, Macron attended a summit of the European Political Community, where he encouraged Armenia to pursue closer ties with the EU. The bloc offered visa and trade liberalisation at a subsequent Armenia-EU summit.
Macron criticised Russia's failure to intervene during Azerbaijani offensives in 2020 and 2023, which led to mass displacement of Armenians. 'We saw that Russia abandoned Armenia,' he said, adding that Moscow's security promises were untrue.
Pashinyan faces challenges from three pro-Russia or nationalist parties that accuse him of making too many concessions to Azerbaijan. They are likely to attack Macron for interfering in Armenia's internal politics.
Macron expressed hope that Armenia's economic growth of 6% would spread across the Caucasus. He called for open borders with Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Georgia, and urged regional leaders to pursue peace and democracy.
The French president enjoyed popular support during his visit, and a video of him singing Charles Aznavour's 'La Bohème' with Pashinyan on drums went viral.
