Chirac: Peculiar Inner Commonality b/w Armenian and French nations

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
September 28, 2006 Thursday

THERE IS SOME PECULIAR INNER COMMONALITY BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND FRENCH
NATIONS: FRENCH PRESIDENT

There is some peculiar inner commonality between the Armenian and
French nations, French President Jacques Chirac says in an interview
to Hayastani Hanrapetoutyun daily (Armenia) on the eve of his visit
to Yerevan.

French-Armenian relations go back from the Crusades when king of
Jerusalem Baldwin of Boulogne married Armenian princess Morphia of
Melitene. Since then both nations have had many ups and down: WWI,
the Armenian Genocide, the collapse of empires, joint fight during
WWII. As a result, the two nations have become much alike. Both are
adherent to indepedence, religion, spiritual wisdom in arts and
culture, both have beautiful and sacred languages.

Chirac says that 500,000 French citizens of Armenian origin have
given France their courage, talent and generosity. At the same time,
they have preserved their ties with Armenia and are actively involved
in thousands of projects for strengthening relations between the two
nations. One such project is French University of Armenia – this is
an exemplary project enjoying support of the French authorities and
French regions and cities with big Armenian communities.