President Vahagn Khachaturyan received the Mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet

President Vahagn Khachaturyan received the delegation led by the Mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet.

Welcoming the guests, the President particularly said: “Lyon is one of the cities where we have a lot of friends and a rather representative and well-organized Armenian community. Of course, we wouldn’t have that without the friendly attitude we receive from France and the local authorities. I am sure that our close friendly relations and active cooperation will be continuous. I also believe that your visit will give a new impetus to our relations.”

Expressing his gratitude for the reception, Grégory Doucet noted: “The centuries-old friendship that we have is still relevant and continuous. We have a great wish and readiness to support Armenia and the people of Armenia to the extent possible, as many great French figures did before. I assure you that I will do my best to support Armenia to the best of my ability.”

During the meeting, the President touched upon general regional realities and the blockade of the Lachin Humanitarian Corridor by Azerbaijan. Both sides emphasized the urgent need to restore the normal operation of the Corridor.

The President provided details on the provocations of the Azerbaijani side in the territory of Armenia, in the area of the Tegh community the day before, as a result of which, 4 Armenian soldiers were killed and 6 were wounded. The President noted that such provocations are of recurring in nature and are fraught with the risk of developing into a large-scale military escalation. In this respect, the President highlighted that the presence of the EU observation mission in Armenia has an impact on the mitigation of tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The President stressed that Armenia has adopted the policy of establishing sustainable peace in the region and adheres to that position.