ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES NEW ELECTED FRENCH COUNTERPART

ARMENPRESS
May 07 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Robert Kocharian
has conveyed in a message his congratulations to Nicolas Sarkozy,
who was elected yesterday new President of France.

"Remaining committed to close and friendly relationships between the
French and Armenians and to the tradition of mutual understanding,
which in recent years have strengthened through government level
cooperation, I am confident that we shall continue to deepen our ties
through cooperation between our governments and personal contacts,’
Kocharian’s message says.

Kocharian also emphasized the permanent and effective high-level
French-Armenian dialogue on international, regional and bilateral
issues. The Armenian president also recollected a February meeting
with Sarkozy in Paris for a discussion of a wide scope of issues saying
he hopes that they will have more chances to revert to them in future.

With almost all ballots counted, Nicolas Sarkozy had won 53.1% of
the vote sweeping aside his Socialist rival Segolene Royal with 46.9%
. Turnout was about 85% — the highest since 1981.

Thousands of rightist supporters flooded into central Paris to
celebrate the victory, but there were also skirmishes between leftist
sympathizers and police in at least one city square and reports of
sporadic violence in two suburbs near the capital.

Addressing cheering party faithful, Mr. Sarkozy pledged to push
through his reform program, promising to wage war on unemployment
and give a boost to French morale.

"The French people have chosen change. I will usher in this change
because it is the mandate I have received from the people and because
France needs it, but I will do it with all the French."

Sarkozy will take power on May 16, becoming the first French head
of state to be born after the Second World War. He will then name a
government and start campaigning for June’s parliamentary election,
where he will seek a majority to implement reforms.