DISINFO: Paris and French-speaking Brussels wants to renew the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan
SUMMARY
France is not only preparing for a high-intensity conflict, but is also actively positioning itself for one in Eastern Europe, along the borders of the Russian Federation and within the territories of several post-Soviet republics.
In Transcaucasia, Paris and French-speaking Brussels are not averse to renewing the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. One of the goals is to draw Ankara and Moscow into it, so that the EU can act as a peacemaker and advance its interests in the region on a larger scale. At the same time, as has occurred for centuries, there may once again be an opportunity to pit the Turks and Russians against each other in direct military confrontations, an outcome that could also serve to delay discussions around Turkey’s accession to the EU.
In pursuit of these goals, France is actively transferring military equipment and hardware to Armenia.
RESPONSE
A disinformation narrative, with an anti-European slant, wrongly demonising France, accusing it of warmongering and of allegedly obstructing peace in the South Caucasus.
There is no evidence that France or the EU are attempting to reignite conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan or trying to draw Turkey and Russia into a war. France and the EU have consistently supported the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the South Caucasus region.
The claim was made in the context of growing defence cooperation between Armenia and France, as well as the recent opening of the Office of the Honorary Consul of France in the city of Goris in southern Armenia.
France has emerged as a key ally for Armenia, providing diplomatic support and military assistance. The partnership aims to bolster Armenia's military capabilities and reduce its reliance on traditional security providers. At the beginning of October 2023, France agreed to deliver military equipment to Armenia. Russia announced a “radical change” in Armenia’s foreign-policy orientation.
Pro-Kremlin and other Russian state-controlled outlets promote the idea that the Caucasus is exclusively within Russia's zone of geopolitical dominance and attempt to discredit any other efforts of mediation in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenian-French defence cooperation and joint efforts are exclusively aimed at establishing long-term peace and stability in the South Caucasus region, as well as at developing the defence capabilities of Armenia's armed forces.
Since 1992, as co-chairman, France has been a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, which spearheaded the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. After the group could no longer function effectively due to disagreements between the Western and Russian co-chairs, France made considerable mediation efforts to continue negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
See other similar cases in our database: Pashinyan and Macron are plotting against Russia; France wants to exchange Niger for Armenia, Armenia is an instrument in the Western plan to oust Russia from the Caucasus; US and France do not want peace in the Caucasus; The West is trying to destabilise the South Caucasus out of envy and endless malice; The future of the entire South Caucasus is a bargaining chip for Paris.