Macron: South Caucasus should be ‘crossroads’ not ‘space of rival powers’

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that the South Caucasus should not become a "space of rival external powers" and should instead serve as a "crossroads" linking Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.

"The South Caucasus is not destined to be a field of empires competing over it as a trophy," Macron said at the Yerevan Dialogue.

He said the region was experiencing what he described as an "Armenian moment," driven by peace efforts and economic transformation after years of instability.

Macron said Armenia had made "a courageous and necessary choice" by advancing peace initiatives and pursuing normalization with Azerbaijan, adding that the process had helped stabilize the country's political and economic trajectory.

He called for the reopening of all regional borders, including those between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye, saying that "borders must open, all borders, and they must open fully."

"This is what will unlock full economic opportunity and allow for routes of peace rather than imperial conflicts in the South Caucasus," he said.

Macron said the region should evolve into a connectivity hub linking Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, adding that reliance on outside protection had proven unstable.

He also said a broader transition was underway toward a more rules-based international order, arguing that lasting peace could only be achieved through international law and cooperation rather than power politics.