IRIA News

France has pledged to boost Armenia‘s air defenses as Yerevan has agreed to purchase radar systems from the French group Thales. The move comes as Armenia considers reducing its reliance on Russia, which has been Armenia’s traditional security guarantor.

Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said that there is no advantage in continuing to host Russian military bases on its territory after Azerbaijan retook the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh region. Yerevan is seeking Western support as its relations with Russia deteriorate.

The latest developments come as Azerbaijan took control of Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning military operation on September 20. The area is internationally viewed as Azeri territory but had been run by ethnic Armenians since the breakup of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.

Nagorno-Karabakh region, also known as Artsakh by Armenia, lies in an area that has a centuries-long history dating back to the times of the Ottoman and Russian empires. The region has always been a Christian stronghold and home to ethnic Armenians.

Weapons deal with France

As Armenia tilts toward the West and seeks deeper cooperation, France has come forward to help Yerevan improve its defense capabilities. Paris has agreed to sell weapons to Armenia, including air defense systems.

“Even if we are not part of the same military and political alliances, we assume this defense relationship, which is based on the simple principle that you need to be able to defend yourself and your civilian population,” French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu told his Armenian counterpart Suren Papikyan at a press conference.

“The protection of the sky is something that’s absolutely key,” Lecornu said during a joint news conference with Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan in Paris.

What weapons is Armenia buying from France?

French group Thales and Yerevan signed a contract for the purchase of three radar systems on October 23, French media reported.

• Armenia Is procuring three tactical, medium-range Ground Master 200 (GM200) air defense radar systems from the French defense group Thales. The system, already used in Ukraine, is known for its detection capabilities.
• Armenia also signed a contract to buy night-vision goggles from the French group Safran.
• France and Armenia also signed a memorandum of understanding on the future delivery of France’s Mistral short-range air defense system.

Baku protested France’s decision to sell weapons to Armenia. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said this month that France’s military aid to Armenia could trigger a new conflict in the South Caucasus.

Peace deal expected soon

In a recent interview, the Armenian Prime Minister revealed that he is working on a peace deal with Azerbaijan that could be signed in the coming months. Azerbaijan took complete control of Nagorno-Karabakh through a military operation last month. The region which is internationally seen as Azeri territory was run by ethnic Armenians for decades. Baku’s takeover of the region has led to a mass migration of the ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh.

On October 23, 2023, representatives from Azerbaijan and Armenia met in Iran for peace talks. Russian and Turkish foreign ministers also attended the meeting in Tehran, which was aimed at finding a solution to the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict without Western interference.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that the talks represented a “historic opportunity”. He added that the war in the South Caucasus has ended, and it is time for peace and cooperation.

Armenia says it has no advantage in keeping Russian military bases

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said there is no advantage in continuing to host Russian military bases on its territory after Azerbaijan retook the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Russia’s military presence in Armenia includes garrisons in two locations and an airbase. Moscow has long seen itself as the guarantor of Armenia’s security in the volatile South Caucasus, a region crisscrossed with oil and gas pipelines.

Despite Armenia’s repeated requests, Moscow did not intervene in the matter in favor of Yerevan against oil-rich Azerbaijan. Armenia is also a part of the Russian-led CSTO military alliance, which refrained from becoming a party in the conflict. “These events have essentially brought us to a decision that we need to diversify our relationships in the security sphere, and we are trying to do that now,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian recently said about Russia in an interview.

In response to Pishnian’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian authorities were unaware of his comments. “We don’t yet know if he said those words, and if he did, where, in what context. We don’t have such information,” Peskov said. 

Nagorno-Karabakh issue is resolved

Russia sees the Nagorno-Karabakh issue to be resolved after Azerbaijan’s military operation in the region. In a recent summit in Tehran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared that the main point of conflict between the two former Soviet Union states has been resolved. “The conflict has, on the whole, been settled. Both sides agree that Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan and that was the main issue to be settled,” he said. 

“Of course, practical steps remain for a full normalization of relations, particularly preparations for a peace treaty, the demarcation of borders, and the establishment of economic transport links without impediment,” he added.