Macron hosts Pashinyan at the Élysée: strategic partnership, EU visas and regional developments
- Published
- Place
- Paris, France
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Emmanuel Macron hosted Nikol Pashinyan at the Élysée Palace on Tuesday, 10 November, on the sidelines of the 9th Paris Peace Forum. According to the Armenian prime minister’s office, the two leaders reviewed the strategic partnership between Armenia and France, progress on joint programmes in infrastructure and other areas, and relations between Yerevan and the European Union. Visa liberalisation and EU-backed reforms were on the agenda. They also exchanged views on regional developments. The French president welcomed the visit and his guest’s participation in the forum. Pashinyan thanked him for the warm welcome and the invitation, stressing the “high level” of Armenian-French relations. The prime minister leaves for Antalya, Turkey, on Wednesday.
The meeting was announced live in the afternoon by the prime minister’s spokesperson, Melanya Harutyunyan, who posted a photo. On the steps, an embrace and a handshake in front of the Republican Guard. The statement Yerevan issued afterwards was sober: no contract announced, no figures.
Macron called the talks a “good opportunity” to discuss the agenda of bilateral strategic relations. Pashinyan stressed the importance of developing ties “in all directions”.
EU visas in sight
The European track took up much of the conversation. Armenia wants visa-free Schengen travel for its citizens, a goal set for 2029. On 3 November in Brussels, Pashinyan also mentioned a formal application to join the EU in 2027 or 2028.
The European Union opened a formal visa liberalisation dialogue with Armenia in September 2024, a step-by-step process with technical criteria to meet. For Armenians in France, visas are a very concrete matter: they affect families who travel back and forth between the two countries.
A busy day in Paris
The prime minister arrived in Paris on Monday evening for a working visit. He is attending the Paris Peace Forum, held on 10 and 11 November at the Palais de Chaillot under the theme “From sovereignty to cooperation”. In 2019, he had already met Macron there.
Also in Paris, he held talks with Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti. The two stressed the value of expanding trade and the potential for cooperation in tourism.
Analysis
Timing matters. While Pashinyan was received at the Élysée, Moscow was preparing to suspend Armenia’s voting rights in the CSTO. On Wednesday he will be in Turkey, not at the Russian summit. The calendar shows where Yerevan now looks for support: Paris, Brussels, and a cautious normalisation with Ankara. The statement gives no detail on the “joint programmes” in infrastructure. Those concrete announcements are what the relationship will be judged on.
Possible consequences
Pashinyan travels to Antalya on Wednesday, 11 November, for the COP31 leaders’ summit. No French-Armenian agreement was announced after the talks.
