Armenia has received its first batch of armored vehicles from France via Georgia, Eurasianet reported on November 16. .
APM Terminals, which operates the Poti Port, reportedly confirmed on November 14 that a "specific cargo" was received from France and sent on to Armenia.
"In the absence of clear instructions [to the contrary] from the Georgian government and any restrictions from international regulators, APM Terminals Poti, as a multipurpose port in Georgia and the region, had no right to reject without basis a cargo that is not under sanctions," the company told Radio Liberty.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili reportedly gave his own confirmation of the arms transit in an interview with Georgian Public TV on November 14.
Armenia's Defense Ministry, for its part, neither confirmed nor denied the transfer of the vehicles, according to Eurasianet.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, condemned France over the hardware transfer but made no mention of Georgia.
The Armenian and French defense ministers reportedly signed deals on October 23 under which Armenia will purchase radar systems and other equipment, including anti-aircraft systems, from French manufacturers, and France will help train and reform the Armenian armed forces.
However, the delivery of French armored personnel carriers (APCs) was not mentioned in initial official statements about that deal.
Azerbaijan has long been critical of France over its pro-Armenian stance in the Karabakh conflict, especially during the peace process that followed the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Now that Azerbaijan largely resolved the Karabakh conflict in its own favor, it still opposes France's involvement in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations as a mediator.
Eurasianet notes that Azerbaijan has recently begun using its chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to position itself as a global leader in the fight against what it calls French "neocolonialism."
