France stubbornly continues to disrupt regional stability in the South Caucasus. Official Paris ignores the repeated calls of Azerbaijan and tries to stir up revanchist sentiments in Armenia, to provide military support to this country and to prevent the signing of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
France's false reassurance, promise, and support are already evident in the speeches of the military and political leadership of Armenia.
For example, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Defense Minister Suren Papikyan in their recent interviews praised France's military and diplomatic support.
"Armenia has acquired new partners at the level of various superpowers and other friendly countries. First of all, we are talking about France and India, which have become our main partners, but there are other countries that I don't want to talk about yet," Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan said in an interview with the country's Public Television.
Armenia purchased 3 GM 200 radar systems, and 50 Bastion armored vehicles from France and signed an agreement on the future purchase of Mistral short-range air defense systems. But this is only the visible face of military cooperation. France has promised to reform the Armenian army, which is in a deep crisis after the 44-day war.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed this in an interview with the country's Public Radio. He openly admitted that the concept of reform would not be carried out with Russia.
France not only sells weapons to Armenia, promises reforms, but also discusses joint production of weapons. The news that the French company "Safran Group" is planning to start the production of weapons and components jointly with Armenia has spread in the press.
Considering that the company produces aviation components, vision devices, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), it is clear in which direction the cooperation will lead.
The main element used for France's penetration into the South Caucasus is the monitoring mission of the European Union placed on the Azerbaijan-Armenia conditional border. The mission deployed to Armenia in February 2023 is expanding its activities under the slogan of stability and security on the border with Azerbaijan. In January of this year, the European Union decided to increase the number of mission members from 138 to 209 people.
The strange side of the matter is that as stability on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia is strengthened, and peace negotiations continue, the contingent of the mission expands. The composition of the mission is also not transparent. This includes people who serve in French intelligence, and who serve in power structures. This refutes the idea that the EU Monitoring Mission has a civilian character.
The recent visit of Brigadier General William De Meyer of the French National Gendarmerie to the Azerbaijan-Armenia conditional border and observation of the Azerbaijani territories with binoculars also proves that France uses the civilian mission for military and intelligence purposes. France does not even try to hide its intentions any longer
Then, two days ago, the detention of a citizen of the Czech Republic while trying to illegally cross the border of Azerbaijan cannot be considered a random incident against the background of recent events. If we recall the fact that the French spy network was exposed in Azerbaijan last December, it can be said that spy attacks against Azerbaijan were organized in the region.
France is interested in remaining a hotbed of tension in the South Caucasus, in the militarization of the region, and in remaining uncertain about the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The inconsistent, chaotic, and unwilling policy of the Armenian government also allows France to implement this policy to a certain extent.
But in any case, Azerbaijan has enough political, diplomatic, and military power to neutralize France's influence in the region and not allow the artificial change of the status quo and balance of power in the region.
France is interested in remaining a hotbed of tension in the South Caucasus, in the militarization of the region, and in remaining uncertain about the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The inconsistent, chaotic, and unwilling policy of the Armenian government also allows France to implement this policy to a certain extent.
But in any case, Azerbaijan has enough political, diplomatic and military power to neutralize France's influence in the region, and to avoid artificially changing of the status quo and balance of power in the region.
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