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Monday, August 22, 2005

On Thursday, August 18, 2005, Léna Balsan, Mayor of the French city of
Valence, met with AGBU President Berge Setrakian in New York at the
AGBU Central Office to discuss matters of mutual interest concerning
Armenians in France, particularly those in the Rhône Valley.

Balsan was involved in the development of the Armenian Heritage Center
(), which opened on July 11, 2005, and is
the first of its kind in France. Located in the heart of Valence, the
center houses extensive information about the history, exile and
integration of the country’s Armenian population into the fabric of
the French nation. Since the 1920s, the town of Valence has been home
to a significant French Armenian community making up 10% of its
population.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with
an annual budget of $26 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the
Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and
humanitarian programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians in 35
countries.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress