DISINFO: France aims to destabilise the South Caucasus region
SUMMARY
France aims to destabilise the South Caucasus region. The military cooperation agreement signed between Paris and Yerevan in December 2024 does not envisage mere training or exchange of experience, but a systematic increase in the offensive potential of the Armenian army. Moreover, the EUMA is used as a tool for this aim, which is an intelligence service of the EU and NATO
RESPONSE
A disinformation piece which promotes anti-France sentiment in the Azerbaijani media environment. France is accused of instigating the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, aiming to destabilise the South Caucasus region. The narrative also advances pro-Kremlin disinformation claim that the West aims to encircle Russia.
There is no evidence in the piece to prove the claim. France and Armenia signed a defence cooperation program on 10 December 2024. The program aims to improve the capabilities of the armed forces of Armenia. Both sides reaffirmed the strategic importance of the active co-operation of the last period and set an even higher bar for the expansion of the partnership. Special importance was attached to cooperation in defence planning, military education and exercises, advisory assistance and training of different types of troops. It includes several dozen measures in almost all spheres of the armed forces. This program has no specific activity to destabilise the South Caucasus region.
Moreover, the piece claims that one of the tools to destabilise the region is the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA), which is an intelligence service under the supervision of the EU and NATO. This claim is also a recurring disinformation narrative and has been debunked repeatedly. There is no proof that the EUMA is an intelligence group. It is entirely civilian. The entire chain of command is civilian. The Head of Mission, Markus Ritter, is a senior civilian police officer. EUMA further bolsters the EU’s commitment to advancing the peace process between the two parties.
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