YEREVAN, October 9. /ARKA/. Armenia is set to expand effective cooperation with the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD), Armenian Minister of Finance Vahe Hovhannisyan said at a meeting last week with the newly appointed director of AFD's regional office in the South Caucasus Fanny Delpey (based in Tbilisi, Georgia).

The meeting was also attended by the French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies. Minister Hovhannisyan expressed hope that under Delpey's leadership, the effective cooperation with AFD will expand along with strengthening Armenian-French relations. 

Delpey reaffirmed her readiness to support Armenia. The cooperation in such areas as energy, irrigation and water infrastructure, road construction was highlighted. The budgetary support was also emphasized as a key direction of cooperation. 

Regarding the humanitarian situation, which has developed as a result of the mass exodus of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the French side expressed readiness to support the solution of the social problems of these people through various instruments. 

AFD has been present in Armenia since 2013, participating in projects that contribute to the fight against climate change, equitable and inclusive transition projects. The organization is active in such areas as sustainable management and conservation of natural resources (irrigation, forests), urban infrastructure (transport, water supply, waste management, pollution control), energy transition (renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy sector reform), public finance management. -0--