France seeks peace in the Caucasus, having tense relations with Armenia’s neighbors, says RFi

France has been vocal in its support for Armenia’s sovereignty and security–a stance that has ruffled feathers in both Baku and Moscow, Radio France Internationale writes.

As noted, in recent years, Paris has bolstered defense cooperation with Armenia, supplying equipment such as CAESAR self-propelled howitzers.

“All this is solely aimed at helping Armenia acquire the means to defend its population, its territorial integrity and its sovereignty,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said.

The publication states that this show of solidarity has not gone unnoticed by Russia. During a visit to Armenia the previous week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced concern over Yerevan’s pivot toward France, casting doubt on the motivation behind the alliance.

Barrot pushed back, stating that France and Europe are not at war with Russia, but are resisting what he termed “the Putinization of the world.”

The website notes that France’s diplomatic efforts bore fruit on another front this week, with the return of street artist Théo Clerc, who was pardoned and released by Azerbaijan after spending more than 400 days behind bars for graffiti art he painted in a metro station.

Franco-Azeri relations have been strained due to France’s support for Armenia, criticism of Azerbaijan’s human rights record and accusations that Baku has orchestrated a disinformation campaign targeting French institutions.

However, it wasn’t all diplomatic triumphs for Paris. On the same day Barrot stood with Armenian leaders in Yerevan, Tehran issued a scathing rebuke of France’s legal action at the International Court of Justice over the detention of two French nationals – Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris – on charges of espionage.

Iranian authorities blasted the case as “pointless” and accused France of “exploiting” legal institutions.

The pair – arrested in 2022 during a holiday in Iran – are among roughly 20 Europeans being detained in what critics say is a strategy of leverage by Tehran. France alleges that the couple have been held in conditions amounting to torture and has accused Iran of violating international obligations.