Armenia's FM hails peace, embraces future: EU, elections, neighbours, 'huge' infrastructure projects

Joining us from Armenia’s newly inaugurated embassy in Paris, France 24's François Picard welcomes Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ararat Mirzoyan, who presents a country at a pivotal juncture: one defined by the simultaneous consolidation of peace and strategic repositioning. He asserts that “we now have peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” framing it not as a symbolic declaration but as an emerging reality, further underscored by the intention to “institutionalise this peace.”Mirzoyan situates this development within a broader historical shift. After “decades and decades” during which “Armenia was under blockade,” the country is now seeking to redefine its regional role. Crucially, he reframes this transformation in cooperative rather than competitive terms: “This is not about competition, it’s about unblocking the South Caucasus.” In his account, Armenia’s future lies in connectivity, supported by ambitious plans for “huge infrastructure - railways, electricity grids, oil and gas pipelines” - positioning the country as “a critical chain in the Middle Corridor” linking Europe and Asia.Yet this forward-looking vision is tempered by the enduring legacy of conflict. While the “wounds of this war are still fresh” following Azerbaijan’s brutal invasion and seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, Mirzoyan underscores a deliberate national pivot toward the future. “It’s not easy to forget, and there is no necessity to forget,” he explains. “We will, of course, remember. But we also should analyse… that our nation… should now focus on the present and future rather than remain in the past.” He points to a landscape of emerging opportunity: “There are so many new opportunities in Armenia… infrastructure… AI… data centres, modern schools, education, universities.”On the domestic and geopolitical front, Mirzoyan emphasizes the democratic and societal dimensions of Armenia’s trajectory. He maintains that the people of Armenia “strongly support the peace agenda” and “have European aspirations,” framing closer ties with the European Union as both a political direction and a societal choice.In outlining Armenia’s regional environment, the minister adopts a notably calibrated tone. Alongside the newly established peace with Azerbaijan, he highlights “very productive dialogue” with Türkiye aimed at normalising relations, describes ties with Georgia as “brilliant” and “brotherly,” and characterises relations with Iran as “very normal neighbourly relations,” while expressing concern over ongoing regional instability. Relations with Russia, however, are presented more cautiously: acknowledging “frustration regarding Russia’s role,” he nevertheless insists that Armenia “definitely” does not seek conflict and intends to maintain “normal friendly relations.”Ultimately, Mirzoyan grounds his analysis in the principle of sovereignty, asserting that “no one in the world has the right to interfere” in Armenia’s democratic processes and that the “choice of people” must be respected. His remarks portray a state navigating between memory and momentum, seeking to anchor itself through peace, connectivity, and democratic legitimacy in an increasingly fluid regional order.