The Armenian Defense Ministry said the two men discussed “the current state of implementation of understandings” reached by them during Papikian’s previous trip to France that took place last September. Security in the South Caucasus was also on the agenda of the talks, the ministry said without giving details.
France’s Armed Forces Ministry did not immediately issue a statement on the talks.
Papikian’s September trip to Paris came in the wake of large-scale fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. He met with Lecornu the day after French President Emmanuel Macron received Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. Macron blamed Azerbaijan for the hostilities and said Azerbaijani forces must “return to their initial positions.”
A delegation of French defense officials visited Armenia in October, holding separate talks with Papikian, Armenian army chief Eduard Asrian and High-Technology Minister Robert Khachatrian. The Defense Ministry in Yerevan likewise said at the time that they discussed the implementation of Papikian’s and Lecornu’s “understandings.”
No details of those agreements have been made public so far. It remains unclear whether France, which is regularly accused by Azerbaijan of making pro-Armenian statements, is ready to provide any military assistance to Armenia.
“We certainly support the peace talks that have started with Azerbaijan, but France must help Armenia to defend and protect itself!” Christian Cambon, the chairman of the French Senate’s committee on defense and foreign affairs, tweeted after meeting with Papikian on Monday.
The Armenian minister attended the opening ceremony of the Paris Airshow earlier on Monday.