EMBASSY OF ARMENIA IS READY TO ACTIVELY ASSIST JACQUES CHIRAC’S INITIATIVE TO OPEN "HOUSE OF ARMENIA" IN PARIS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 12 2007

PARIS, APRIL 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Embassy of
Armenia to France can in any way assist President Jacques Chirac’s
initiative to open "House of Armenia" in Paris. Eduard Nalbandian,
the RA Embassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the RA to
France said in the interview to the Noyan Tapan correspondent,
adding that they continue actively working in that direction and
establishing contacts. "It’s a pity, it failed during Jacques Chirac’s
officiating. But I hope that this program will be implemented during
the coming years," the Ambassador mentioned. In his words, it is not a
small program, and "if we initiate anything, we must do it well." The
Ambassador mentioned that the "House of Armenia" must become a house
of the Armenian culture where all French Armenians and not only
they can gather. "After the Year of Armenia, the Armenian history,
culture, traditions must be presented in France with the help of the
"House of Armenia:" of course, it is a great deed and demands great
preparatory work," E. Nalbandian said.

The Ambassador expressed satisfaction with the program of the Year
of Armenia in France. "Not only I am pleased, everybody is pleased
as 850 events in 160 cities of France are really a brilliant success
what was covered by the French press: more than 3000 articles were
published during 6 months. We all must be pleased as the most famous
museums and halls opened their doors in front of us: "Louvre,"
"Conciergerie," "Chatelet"… the greatest institutions in all the
cities," E. Nalbandian mentioned, attaching great importance to the
French Armenians’ role in works of implementation of those initiatives,
as, in his words, besides the Year of Armenia, they every year hold
in France hundreds of events.

The Ambassador stated that the ceremony of closing the Year of Armenia
will take place with a great concert to be organized in Yerevan in
September. The concert will be dedicated to two great composers:
Aram Khachaturian and Maurice Ravel.

In the Ambassador’s words, the greatest event organized within the
framework of the Year of Armenia in France was Charles Aznavour’s
concert held in Hanrapetutian (Republic) square of Yerevan on September
30. 100 thousand people were present at it. The concert video-recording
will be broadcast in France on May 6, by the Canal 2 TV channel.