Visit by Mme Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, to Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia (26-28 April 2023)

Statement by the ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs spokesperson

Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will pay a visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia from 26 to 28 April. She will signal France’s commitment to supporting the negotiations between the two countries for a fair, lasting peace which respects territorial integrity and the principles of international law. She will also call for the rights of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh to be guaranteed and for the immediate restoration of traffic along the Lachin corridor.

In Baku, the Minister will be received by President Ilham Aliyev and speak to her counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov. She will also pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the Soviet crackdown of 20 January 1990.

In Yerevan, the Minister will be received by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and speak to her counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan. She will visit the European Union observation mission headquarters in Jermuk and pay her respects at the memorial to the Armenian genocide, whose 108th anniversary France is commemorating today, 24 April.

The Minister will also go to Georgia on 28 April. During her discussions with President Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, she will signal her support for reforms concerning the rule of law and protection of the civic space, which are essential for continuing to bring the country closer to the European Union.