On June 19, Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan met with General Fabien Mandon, who serves as Military Adviser and Chief of the Military Staff to the President of France. According to information provided by Armenia's Ministry of Defense, they discussed the current collaboration between Armenia and France in defense matters and future potential programs.

Additionally, the Defense Minister updated General Fabien Mandon on the ongoing reforms within the Armenian Armed Forces and the extent of support France provided. They also discussed regional and international security concerns during their meeting.

Earlier, it was reported that Yerevan and Paris agreed to Armenia's acquisition of French CAESAR howitzers, as announced by Sebastien Lecornu, the French Minister for the Armed Forces, in an X (former Twitter) post.

“We continue to strengthen our defense relations with Armenia. A warm and productive conversation [took place] with my [Armenian] colleague Suren Papikyan on the sidelines of Eurosatory [international exhibition]. New important milestone with the signing of a contract for the acquisition of CAESAR cannons,” Lecornu wrote.

On June 17, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced that Karen Brutyan, a deputy to Defense Minister Papikyan, and a senior representative from KNDS France, the manufacturer of CAESAR systems, signed an “agreement on military-technical cooperation.” The ministry did not disclose specific details of the agreement, which was executed in both ministers' presence.

Yerevan’s agreement with KNDS likely represents the most substantial of the French-Armenian arms deals signed thus far.

Russian MFA Accuses Paris of Provoking South Caucasus Tensions Amid Arms Deal with Armenia

During a weekly press briefing, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused Paris of instigating another round of armed confrontation in the South Caucasus. She made these remarks about France’s contract to deliver CAESAR self-propelled howitzers to Armenia.

Zakharova criticized the agreement, suggesting it could escalate tensions in the region. She expressed skepticism about France’s motivations, alleging that France exploits differences between countries for its strategic interests rather than genuinely supporting Armenia.

Furthermore, Zakharova characterized France as a promoter of NATO’s ideology, implying that its actions in the South Caucasus are influenced by broader geopolitical considerations.

Maria Zakharova also emphasized that Russia maintains engagement with Armenia in the military-technical sector. Her statement was made in response to reports and statements suggesting that Russia might cease negotiations with Armenia regarding arms supply.

Zakharova referred to remarks by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, indicating ongoing dialogue between Russia and Armenia on military matters.

“Deliveries of [Russian] military products to foreign countries are carried out taking into account the needs of a special military operation, as the leadership of the Russian Federation has repeatedly said. Existing restrictions on certain types of weapons and military equipment apply not only to Armenia but also to technical-military cooperation with our other partners. As for the contacts with Armenia in the technical-military sector, we do not refuse them, they proceed regularly, we have not seen any complaints from that side,” Russian MFA spox added.

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