Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot attended the official opening ceremony of the new building of Armenia’s Embassy in France on April 28 in Paris.
During the ceremony, Mirzoyan raised the Armenian tricolor in front of the embassy, while the national anthems of Armenia and France were performed by the Republican Military Orchestra. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the new embassy building was officially inaugurated.
A meeting between the foreign ministers of Armenia and France also took place on the sidelines of the event.
The ceremony was attended by presidents of standing committees of the French Senate and National Assembly, members of parliament, mayors, regional and municipal council members, representatives of the French President’s Office, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, other government institutions, as well as heads of several diplomatic missions accredited in France.
Armenia’s Ambassador to France Arman Khachatryan delivered welcoming remarks, followed by speeches from Mirzoyan and Barrot.
In his address, Mirzoyan described the opening of the new embassy as a significant step not only in strengthening Armenia’s diplomatic presence in France, but also in deepening the friendship between the two countries, which he said is rooted in shared values of freedom, democracy, and solidarity.
He thanked the French authorities for their continued support and highlighted the symbolic importance of the embassy’s new location in the former residence of former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.
Mirzoyan also noted that the opening comes just days before French President Emmanuel Macron’s planned state visit to Armenia, which he said would become one of the most important milestones in bilateral relations.
He emphasized that since Armenia regained independence, relations between Yerevan and Paris have steadily developed into a strategic partnership based on close political dialogue, regular high-level contacts, active parliamentary and decentralized cooperation, and broad sectoral engagement.
According to Mirzoyan, this strategic partnership will soon be formalized in a document to be signed by Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The Armenian foreign minister also praised France’s constructive engagement in promoting peace in the South Caucasus and expressed appreciation for France’s firm commitment to protecting Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, supporting its democratic path, and backing the European aspirations of the Armenian people.
French Foreign Minister Barrot, in his remarks, said Macron’s upcoming state visit would mark an exceptional strengthening of ties between the two countries.
He also noted that Yerevan would soon become “the beating heart of Europe” as it hosts the European Political Community summit and the first Armenia-European Union summit.
Barrot added that Armenia’s courageous commitment to establishing peace with Azerbaijan has opened a new horizon for peace, security, and prosperity in the South Caucasus.
