French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to swiftly finalise and sign a long-awaited peace deal during a visit to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on Monday. After agreeing on a draft agreement in March, the two neighbours—who have long been at war over the disputed Karabakh region—seemed to be on the verge of reconciliation.
Negotiations have now stagnated, meanwhile, as Azerbaijan demanded that Armenia rewrite its constitution before signing the deal. Speaking with Ararat Mirzoyan, his Armenian counterpart, Barrot stated: “This treaty must be signed.” His remarks emphasised France’s growing involvement in the South Caucasus, where major countries like the US, Russia, the EU, and Turkey compete for influence.
France has been outspoken in its defence of Armenia’s security and sovereignty, which has angered both Baku and Moscow. Through the provision of CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and other weapons, Paris has strengthened defence cooperation with Armenia in recent years.
Is Russia concerned about France’s growing regional influence?
But Russia has taken note of this display of unity. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed alarm over Yerevan’s shift toward France during a visit to Armenia last week, raising questions about the alliance’s purpose. In a veiled warning against territorial invasion, Barrot said that France and Europe are not at war with Russia but are against what he called “the Putinization of the world.”
Are Franco-Azeri relations worsening over human rights issues?
The return this week of street artist Théo Clerc, who was freed and pardoned by Azerbaijan after serving more than 400 days in prison for painting graffiti in a metro station, was another example of how France’s diplomatic efforts paid off.
The publication was praised by Barrot as the pride and honor of French diplomacy. France’s backing of Armenia, criticism of Azerbaijan‘s human rights record, and claims that Baku has planned a misinformation campaign against French institutions have all contributed to strained Franco-Azeri ties.
But it wasn’t all positive diplomatic outcomes for Paris. Tehran harshly criticised France’s case at the International Court of Justice for the incarceration of two French citizens, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, on espionage allegations on the same day that Barrot joined Armenian authorities in Yerevan.
Iranian officials denounced the action as futile and charged France with “taking advantage of” the legal system. The two were imprisoned in 2022 while on vacation in Iran, and they are among about 20 Europeans being held under what opponents claim is Tehran’s pressure tactic. France has accused Iran of breaking its international commitments and claims that the pair have been detained in conditions that amount to torture.
