On February 6, the President of the Republic of France, Emmanuel Macron, in a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, confirmed his "full commitment to the security of Armenia, considering the removal of the blockade of the vital road by the Azerbaijanis for Nagorno-Karabakh as a priority," lepoint.fr writes.

 "During the telephone conversation, the head of state expressed France's complete solidarity with the Armenian population, which is facing growing humanitarian needs.  Macron also said that the priority for him is the restoration of free movement through the Lachine Corridor, which has been blocked since December 12," the Elysée Palace reports.

It should be reminded that since December 12, Azerbaijanis, presenting themselves as environmental activists, have blocked the vital road connecting Armenia with Nagorno Karabakh.  The blockade has left some 120,000 people facing power and internet outages, as well as problems with access to heating, food and medicine.

 According to the newspaper, the French president wants to be at the diplomatic forefront in this conflict, but he has been relatively reserved in public after his December 23 appeal to his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, whom he urged to allow free movement between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia.  "On Monday, he reaffirmed his full commitment to Armenia's security and his determination to facilitate dialogue in order to find a stable political solution in the region," the Elysée Palace reported.

 During the telephone conversation, Emmanuel Macron and Nikol Pashinyan "welcomed the deployment of the European observation mission established along the border in October, particularly with French mediation, which helps to stabilize the situation."