French expert: Paris uses Yerevan to strengthen its position in region

In an interview with Report, the President of the Institute of European Perspective and Security Studies (IPSE), Emmanuel Dupuy, said that Paris is using Armenia to strengthen its position in the region.

"Military support for Armenia is part of France's plan to strengthen its footprint in the Caucasus in relation to Russia and Türkiye using Armenia," he said.

The expert also touched upon the military power of Azerbaijan: "France does not disturb the strategic balance by providing military aid to Armenia. On the contrary, the military power of Azerbaijan is much superior to the military power of Yerevan. Thanks to its military power, Baku was able to win over Yerevan. It means that Paris does not disrupt the strategic balance by providing arms to the Armenians, on the contrary, it creates the conditions for the emergence of a strategic imbalance."

Dupuy noted that France has agreed to provide military support to Armenia after it left Azerbaijan’s occupied territories: "Paris has a bilateral agreement to provide military aid not only to Armenia but also to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, and other countries. It decided to provide military support to Yerevan only today after leaving the lands of neighboring countries. During the period when Armenia kept the lands of Azerbaijan under occupation, France refused to provide any military support to it."

The expert emphasized that the weapons given to the Armenians are not offensive weapons: "These are only military transport vehicles. This does not mean that France will take the side of Armenia and take a position against Azerbaijan."