Papikyan is in Paris: it is planned to sign a contract for military supplies

Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan is in Paris, where he is going to sign an agreement on military supplies with the French side today.

According to Azatutyւn, the Armenian side has not disclosed the details of the deal yet, the French defense minister said yesterday that the contract envisages the acquisition of a certain amount of weapons from French manufacturers, which will allow Armenia to protect its skies. The parties do not specify exactly what volumes and types of supplies we are talking about, and in what terms and by what route they should be transported to Armenia.

Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan also refused to present details in the National Assembly today. "We will provide relevant information based on the results of the Defense Minister's visit, you will be informed about everything," Sargsyan promised.

Andranik Kocharyan, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on defense and security issues, said that it is about defense weapons. However, the official deputy did not clarify whether it is only about anti-aircraft defense systems, or whether Paris is going to supply Yerevan with other weapons as well.

"On the 30th of the month, the budget discussions will begin in the National Assembly, and as a rule, the section related to the Defense and Security Affairs Committee will be discussed first. And there, you will all have the opportunity to get answers to certain questions that interest you, I'm not saying completely, but with open brackets, which will refer to both the armament and its structure," said Kocharyan.

Do the planned military supplies from France mean that Armenia is expanding military cooperation? The official deputy said that the state should increase the scope of its cooperation.

"There should also be a greater involvement of friends in political matters, and the 44-day war reminded us that we should do serious work on all platforms and not only have friends, but also such relations that will be aimed at making our security environment more inclusive, so that all the issues related to the stability of our country, starting from our borders, get their solutions", emphasized Andranik Kocharyan.

Earlier, the head of the French military department said that he does not think that Paris can protect Armenia's territorial integrity with military intervention. At the same time, Sebastien Lecorne informed that France is studying the defense needs of Armenia.

The French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, announced during her visit to Armenia that the two countries are going to sign an agreement on the provision of military equipment.