06 09 14 - FRANCE : « ARMENIA MY FRIEND »

Paris september 13, 2006-
by Jean Eckian - www.inhomage.com

FRANCE : « ARMENIA MY FRIEND » Sept 21, 2006 – July 14, 2007
Yesterday, September 12, Philippe Douste Blazy, french Foreign Minister and Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, Minister to the Culture and Communication, launched officially the "Year of Armenia" to the course of press conference in the presence of their armenian counterparts Hasmik Poghosyan, Minister to the Culture and the Youth and Vartan Oskanian, Foreign Minister of Armenia. « Armenia is close and faraway, familiar and unknown. This is why this event constituted a true challenge » R. Donnedieu de Vabres said. Opportunity to recall the intimate and old bonds linking France to Armenia and its people, and also opportunity to make discover with French people the richness of the Armenian culture and its 3000 years of History. Thus, more than 500 artistic events and development of the Armenian heritage will commemorate the friendship France - Armenia between September 21, 2006 (birthday of the Republic of Armenia) and July 14, 2007 (national day
in France since the Revolution of 1789). Important times of this exemplary testimony of friendship between the two countries will be marked, september 29 by the visit of the french President Jacques
Chirac to Yerevan (1), with the inauguration of the "Place of France" and the big Concert of Charles Aznavour, place of the Republic, accompanied by its guests, of which the singer of Quebec Linda Demay and the french singer star Patricia Kaas. Lastly, to conclude this year to the festivities, the operation "Thousand Ambassadors for Armenia", 1000 children from Armenia will be invited in France to learn the language of Moliere (french), thus giving to its true direction to "Armenia my Friend". France invested a budget of 1,5 million Euros in this event to which are added the financial participation of many Armenian associations of France.

V.V