Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan today received France's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, Olivier Decotigny.

The minister thanked France, because it was one of the first countries that directly condemned Azerbaijan in connection with the regional security situation and the next large-scale aggression by Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, noting the latter's criminal actions against the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. The minister also highlighted France's initiative to convene the session of the UN Security Council on September 22, as well as the position expressed by France within the framework of this session.

Grigor Minasyan emphasized that it is also important for the Republic of Armenia to reiterate the reconfirmation of the French President Emmanuel Macron on September 24 during an interview with the French TV channel TF1 regarding the preservation of Armenia's territorial integrity and France's readiness to support in this direction.

The ambassador thanked for the reception and emphasized that the situation around Nagorno Karabakh is really worrying. Olivier Decotignin noted that the French side recorded and condemned the shelling of the civilian population and civil infrastructures and illegal captures through various channels.

The minister and the ambassador also referred to the ongoing demonstrations and actions of disobedience in Yerevan. Circumstances of external influence of these processes were discussed. Reference was also made to the police operations carried out during the demonstrations and the legal processes following them. The ambassador noted that the doctrine of protection of public order and its control mechanisms are in place in France, on which the French side would be happy to organize an exchange of experience.

Moving on to the issues on the agenda, the parties discussed the agenda of ongoing judicial reforms. Ambassador Dkotini highly appreciated the steps taken by the Ministry of Justice towards the consistent implementation of that agenda, the rule of law and the strengthening of democratic institutions, noting that these developments are important not only in the context of democratic reforms but also in the context of improving the investment environment.

The strong partnership between the Ministry of Justice and the Republic of France and the projects implemented in recent years with the support of the French Embassy aimed at strengthening the justice system in Armenia and judicial reforms and access to justice were highlighted by both sides.

The parties also discussed the process and perspectives of the cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and the French University Foundation in Armenia, in particular the practical application of the theoretical knowledge of the university students within the scope of the Ministry's functions.

The minister and the ambassador discussed the process of ratifying the Rome Statute and possible cooperation in that direction. The process of creating an arbitration center in Armenia and the possibility of exchanging experience in this context were also discussed.

At the meeting, reference was made to the disciplinary proceedings against the judges. The minister noted that the current legislation provides an opportunity to study the judgments made by the European Court of Human Rights and, in case of violations, to subject the judges to disciplinary responsibility.

The minister and the ambassador discussed other issues of mutual interest.