France will open a consulate in Syunik, becoming the third country after Iran and Russia to establish or announce plans to establish a permanent diplomatic presence in Armenia’s strategically vital southernmost region.
“We will soon open a consular office in Syunik province near the border,” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna was quoted as telling lawmakers in Paris Tuesday by Nouvelles d’Arménie magazine. She did not say where exactly the consulate would be located, nor did she provide a timeframe.
“The fact that Russia has abandoned Armenia and is complicit in Azerbaijan’s military operations makes international diplomatic actions even more necessary,” Colonna added.
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Iran opened a consulate in the regional capital of Kapan last October, with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan hailing the move as a “milestone event.”
In May, Russia indicated it too would set up a consulate in Kapan “in an expedited manner,” but did not provide a concrete timeline. There have been few public developments on the matter since, and as of now, Russia has no diplomats posted to Syunik.
CivilNet inquiries to the French and Russian embassies in Yerevan regarding the timeframe for the opening of their consulates in Syunik were not immediately answered Wednesday.
