On Monday, January 23, the co-chairs of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), Ara Toranian and Mourad Papazian were received by the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, the Public Radio of |Armenia reports citing French journalist and photographer Jean Eckian.

The representatives of the 500,000 Armenians in France discussed the dramatic situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been under blockade by Azerbaijan since December 12 and the threats to the territorial integrity of Armenia.

The co-chairs welcomed the attention given to the issues by Macron and voiced hope that France would play an increasingly active role in the responsibility of protecting the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Since December 12, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by self-described Azerbaijani environmentalists. Karabakh residents have reported food and fuel shortages, while hospital patients don't have access to essential medicines, with only a handful allowed transfer to facilities in Armenia proper.