On June 12, Ararat Mirzoyan, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, participated in the inaugural session of the “Raisina Mediterranean” conference in Marseille, co-organized by partners from India and France, where he engaged in a panel discussion on deepening the strategic partnership between the Indo-Pacific and Europe.
During the event, Mirzoyan and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Foreign Minister of India, jointly addressed the panel titled “The Next Special Relationship: Deepening the Strategic Partnership between the Indo-Pacific and Europe.” Responding to questions, Mirzoyan began by expressing condolences for victims of a recent plane crash in India and praised the growing strategic partnership between France and India, emphasizing Armenia’s key geographic position between Europe and India. He outlined Armenia’s role as a crucial land corridor in the South Caucasus, bordered by Georgia, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. Highlighting ongoing efforts to normalize relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, Mirzoyan explained Armenia’s vision of the “Crossroads of Peace,” aiming to foster peace, prosperity, and regional connectivity, including opening borders and railway links to benefit not only Armenia but the entire region.
When asked about digital and innovation connectivity, Mirzoyan underscored Armenia’s investments in human capital and infrastructure, particularly in the technology sector. He mentioned a recent announcement of a significant AI project involving French MISTRA, NVIDIA, and other partners, describing Armenia as a “safe haven” for IT and AI development.
In discussing new plurilateral groups for connectivity, Mirzoyan reflected on the geopolitical dimensions behind connectivity efforts. He argued that economic benefits alone do not fully explain the desire for closer ties between Europe and India, pointing to larger geopolitical aspirations amid stronger military powers like the US, China, and Russia. Mirzoyan suggested that Europe and India’s mutual interest lies in reshaping a more just and stable international order disrupted by events such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. He framed this as a shared aspiration rooted in democratic values, noting India as the world’s largest democracy and the EU as a cluster of countries with strong democratic institutions, while acknowledging some internal hesitations within Europe.
In his closing remarks, Mirzoyan summarized Armenia’s approach to connectivity with two pillars: logistics through the “Crossroads of Peace” project facilitating East-West and North-South passage, and innovation focusing on AI and big data centers, reaffirming Armenia’s status as a “safe haven” in these technological fields.