French Envoy: Armenia Has Found the Courage to Make Peace

The French Ambassador to Armenia, Olivier Decottignies, speaking at an event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the French Embassy building in Yerevan, highly praised Armenia's path from the "dark and cold years" of independence to a democratic, Europe-looking state that has found the courage to achieve peace.

The ambassador recalled that France was one of the first to recognize Armenia's independence and opened an embassy in Yerevan during a period that "Armenians remember as the 'dark and cold years'." He described the difficult situation when the country was still bearing the scars of the 1988 earthquake, was facing war, and people were forced to cut down trees to stay warm. "Since then, Armenia has come a long way," Decottignies noted.

Referring to the current realities, the ambassador emphasized Armenia's achievements, stressing that Yerevan has become a prosperous and innovative capital, the people have chosen democracy, and the country has diversified its strategic partnerships. In this context, he made his key observation: "Armenia has found the courage to make peace, which is no less than the courage to wage war."

The ambassador stressed that throughout this journey, France has been by Armenia's side, in both good and difficult times. He cited the words of the French President, which serve as a compass for them: "Our support for Armenia is 'unconditional, absolute, and unwavering'." As clear evidence of this support, the ambassador mentioned the unprecedented expansion of the embassy, the establishment of the French Development Agency, the Office for Immigration and Integration, as well as a defense mission, which he described as a "turning point" in bilateral relations.

In his speech, Olivier Decottignies expressed special thanks to RA President Vahagn Khachaturyan, who was present at the event. He recalled that it was Khachaturyan, as the mayor of Yerevan, with the consent of President Ter-Petrosyan, who donated this building for the embassy, which was formerly the house of an actor of the Sundukyan Theater.