After Dublin, Pashinyan heads to the Francophonie summit in Phnom Penh
- Published
- Place
- Dublin, Ireland
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Nikol Pashinyan is going from summit to summit. On Friday, 13 November, before leaving Ireland, Armenia’s Prime Minister answered questions from Irish experts at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin. On the agenda: peace with Azerbaijan, the reopening of trade routes and relations with the European Union. In a video filmed on the plane home, he announced a “short visit” to Yerevan: on Saturday he flies to Cambodia. He will attend the 20th Francophonie Summit on 15–16 November in Phnom Penh. It will be his fourth foreign destination in a week, after Paris, Antalya and Dublin. Armenia, a full member of the organisation, hosted the same summit in Yerevan in 2018.
Breakfast with Irish experts
At the IIEA, one of Ireland’s leading think tanks on European affairs, Nikol Pashinyan was welcomed by its Chief Executive, Mark Redmond. A working breakfast brought together the institute’s leadership and experts, followed by a question-and-answer discussion.
According to his office, the Prime Minister spoke about Armenia’s foreign policy, regional developments, the peace process with Azerbaijan, the “unblocking” of transport and economic links, and closer ties with the European Union. He also answered other questions, which were not made public.
Two busy days in Dublin
The meeting wrapped up a packed visit. The day before, at the European Political Community summit, Nikol Pashinyan had talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The two countries then published a joint readout. He also took part in a meeting of the “Core Group” of European countries supporting Armenia.
“It turns out I am now returning to Yerevan for a ‘short visit’. Why short? Because tomorrow we are leaving for Cambodia to take part in the summit of the International Organisation of La Francophonie,” he explained from the plane, in a video posted on Facebook.
Phnom Penh: a summit focused on peace
It is the first time Cambodia has hosted the summit, which is held every two years. The chosen theme: “Reinvesting in peace for shared prosperity and lasting stability”. According to RFI, 90 states and governments have been invited. The host country, locked in a border dispute with Thailand, hopes to win support there.
For Armenia, La Francophonie is a long-standing diplomatic channel. A full member since 2012, Yerevan hosted the 17th summit in October 2018. That is where Louise Mushikiwabo, still the organisation’s Secretary General, was elected.
Analysis
Paris, Antalya, Dublin, Phnom Penh: in a single week, Nikol Pashinyan will have taken the floor on many international stages. The common thread is clear. Everywhere, he presents Armenia as a country making peace with its neighbours and turning towards Europe, at a time when its ties with Moscow are deteriorating. La Francophonie gives him a different audience, notably African and Asian, and a direct link with France, Yerevan’s main European ally. The summit’s theme, peace, fits his message. It remains to be seen whether he will speak there and hold bilateral meetings.
Possible consequences
Nikol Pashinyan leaves for Cambodia on Saturday, 14 November. The summit takes place on 15–16 November in Phnom Penh; his meetings there have not yet been announced.
