Tag: Emmanuel Macron
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Emmanuel Macron has been the most prominent Western leader to publicly align with Armenia’s position in the conflict with Azerbaijan. Following the September 2023 Azerbaijani offensive and the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), France strengthened its security cooperation with Armenia, approved arms sales including radar systems and armored vehicles, and supported Armenia’s engagement with European security structures. Macron’s public statements have been among the sharpest Western criticisms of Azerbaijani conduct.
France’s motivations are debated. The French-Armenian diaspora — one of the largest in the world, with deep roots in communities that survived the 1915 Genocide — gives Armenian issues political salience in France that few other conflicts enjoy. But the diaspora alone does not fully explain the depth of French state engagement. Some analysts argue that France sees Armenia as a potential strategic foothold against Russian influence in the South Caucasus — a western-oriented “bastion” that, if successfully anchored to European structures, would extend EU and NATO-adjacent reach into a region where Moscow has long held sway. In this reading, France’s Armenia policy is as much about containing Russia and countering Turkish influence as it is about solidarity with a small Christian nation.
Groong has covered Macron’s role in Armenian affairs from his early mediation efforts in the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair format through the post-2023 security partnership. Episodes in this category address France’s arms transfers, the political dynamics driving French engagement, the debate over France’s true strategic calculus, and the limits of what a bilateral Franco-Armenian security relationship can realistically provide.
Tevan Poghosyan: CIA in EVN | Armen Grigoryan | Papazian Banned | FMs Meet | Ep #148 - July 17, 2022 [EP148]
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 20, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Human Rights, Syria, Genocide, Middle East, Ukraine
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 17, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00:00 Introduction
- 00:02:30 CIA Chief in Armenia
- 00:18:26 Army Chief Appointed
- 00:30:41 Armen Grigoryan Dies in Court
- 00:45:14 Mourad Papazian is Denied Entry in Armenia
- 00:57:04 Bayramov and Mirzoyan in Tbilisi
- 01:06:11 Rants
Guests:
- Tevan Poghosyan - TW/@TevanPoghosyan
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 148 | Recorded: Monday, July 19, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220717.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 20, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 00:47 Azerbaijan’s “Peace” Deal
- 13:34 Artsakh Without Natural Gas in Winter
- 28:07 Ukraine Protests in Yerevan
- 43:29 Vardenis Mayoral Issue Resolved
- 47:17 Rants
Guest:
- Benyamin Poghosyan https://twitter.com/Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan https://twitter.com/HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian https://twitter.com/qubriq
Episode 129 | Recorded: Sunday, March 21, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220320.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 20, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 00:47 Azerbaijan’s “Peace” Deal
- 13:34 Artsakh Without Natural Gas in Winter
- 28:07 Ukraine Protests in Yerevan
- 43:29 Vardenis Mayoral Issue Resolved
- 47:17 Rants
Guest:
- Benyamin Poghosyan https://twitter.com/Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan https://twitter.com/HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian https://twitter.com/qubriq
Episode 129 | Recorded: Sunday, March 21, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220320.html
Armeniaâs Regional Challenges - February 26, 2022 A Conversation with Tatev Hayrapetyan
Topics:
- Tatevâs Background and Entrance into Politics
- Armenia Going in the Wrong Direction?
- Aliyev and his Regime after the 44-Day War
- The Shushi and Moscow Agreements
- Armeniaâs Foreign Affairs Establishment
Guest:
- Tatev Hayrapetyan is an expert in Azerbaijani studies and holds a PhD in History. She was an MP at the 7th convocation of Armenia’s National Assembly, a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Armenian Delegation at the PACE. She is mainly focused on domestic
Armenia’s Regional Challenges with Tatev Hayrapetyan | Ep #124 - Feb 26, 2022 [EP124]
Posted on Saturday, Feb 26, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Artsakh, China, IndiaArmeniaâs Regional Challenges - February 26, 2022 A Conversation with Tatev Hayrapetyan
Topics:
- Tatevâs Background and Entrance into Politics
- Armenia Going in the Wrong Direction?
- Aliyev and his Regime after the 44-Day War
- The Shushi and Moscow Agreements
- Armeniaâs Foreign Affairs Establishment
Guest:
- Tatev Hayrapetyan is an expert in Azerbaijani studies and holds a PhD in History. She was an MP at the 7th convocation of Armenia’s National Assembly, a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Armenian Delegation at the PACE. She is mainly focused on domestic
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 13, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00:00 Introduction
- 00:02:43 8 More POWs Released, But What At What Cost?
- 00:20:40 Parliamentary Commission on the 44-Day War Established
- 00:33:42 The Degrading Norms of Democracy in Armenia
- 00:46:42 Who Needs Armenia?
- 01:06:32 Latest MPG Poll Results in Yerevan
- 01:18:51 Rants
Guest:
- Benyamin Poghosyan
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 119 | Recorded: Sunday, February 14, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220213.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 13, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00:00 Introduction
- 00:02:43 8 More POWs Released, But What At What Cost?
- 00:20:40 Parliamentary Commission on the 44-Day War Established
- 00:33:42 The Degrading Norms of Democracy in Armenia
- 00:46:42 Who Needs Armenia?
- 01:06:32 Latest MPG Poll Results in Yerevan
- 01:18:51 Rants
Guest:
- Benyamin Poghosyan
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 119 | Recorded: Sunday, February 14, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220213.html
Turkish Armenian Normalization - Conversation with Harut Sassounian | Ep #111 - Jan 9, 2022 [EP111]
Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Genocide, Russia, Israel, Artsakh, Economy, Armenian Genocide, Human Rights, Armenian Church, Georgia, Syria | Series: COG
Turkish-Armenian Normalization Negotiations A Conversation with Harut Sassounian
- Harut Sassounian has been the publisher of The California Courier newspaper since 1983. He is also the President of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization which has delivered to Armenia and Artsakh $947 million of humanitarian assistance since 1989. He is currently engaged in forming the Diaspora Armenian Parliament through local elections.
Topics:
- History of Turkish-Armenian Attempts at Negotiations
- Who are The Players?
- Why Now? What’s on the Agenda?
- What are the Pitfalls and Opportunities?
Turkish Armenian Normalization - Conversation with Harut Sassounian | Ep #111 - Jan 9, 2022 [EP111]
Posted on Sunday, Jan 9, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Genocide, Russia, Israel, Artsakh, Economy, Armenian Genocide, Human Rights, Armenian Church, Georgia, SyriaTurkish-Armenian Normalization Negotiations A Conversation with Harut Sassounian
- Harut Sassounian has been the publisher of The California Courier newspaper since 1983. He is also the President of the Armenia Artsakh Fund, a non-profit organization which has delivered to Armenia and Artsakh $947 million of humanitarian assistance since 1989. He is currently engaged in forming the Diaspora Armenian Parliament through local elections.
Topics:
- History of Turkish-Armenian Attempts at Negotiations
- Who are The Players?
- Why Now? What’s on the Agenda?
- What are the Pitfalls and Opportunities?