French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian congratulated Ararat Mirzoyan for being appointed Armenian Foreign Minister and reaffirmed France’s full support for the Armenian people at this difficult time.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry today issued a transcript of Le Drain’s congratulatory message to Mirzoyan, which states that France will continue to assist Armenia in overcoming the aftermath of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has resulted in numerous casualties, and, as a co-chair of the Minsk Group, will continue to pursue a comprehensive solution to the conflict.

“There are privileged relations between France and Armenia, which have a rich agenda based on deep historical and cultural ties. The quality of Armenian-French political dialogue compels us to deepen our economic cooperation in favor of the unblocking and diversification of the Armenian economy,” Le Drian’s message reads.

Le Drain writes that France is a “player for peace” in the South Caucasus and stands beside Armenia to achieve that desired peace.