COOPERATION AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN RA LORI REGION AND PROVENCE-ALPES-COTES D’AZUR REGION OF FRANCE

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 23, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN. A bilateral Cooperation Agreement, as
well as a Cooperation Activities Contract between Provence-Alpes-Cotes
d’Azur and Lori regions, which have been friends since 1997, were
signed by Michel Vauzelle, the Chairman of the Regional Council,
and Aram Kocharian, the Regional Governor of Lori, under solemn
conditions in the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Cotes d’Azur
(Marseilles) on June 19. With the agreements it is envisaged to deepen
the cooperation at a decentralized level in the spheres of health,
education and culture, as well as in the joint implementation of a
number of other programs.

In honour of the signing of the cooperation agreement, as well as
the French Armenians of Provence-Alpes-Cotes region, Michel Vauzelle
organized a solemn evening on the same day, which was attended by Mher
Shahgeldian, the RA Minister of Emergency Situations, Aram Kocharian,
the Regional Governor of Lori, Hamlet Gasparian, the Charge d’Affaires
of Armenia to France, Lieutenant-General Edik Barseghian, the Head of
the Rescue Service of Armenia, NA deputies of France, representatives
of Marseilles, Nice and representatives of the authorities of
other neighbouring cities, Armenian spiritual leaders, heads of
French-Armenian organizations and hundreds of French Armenians.

According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the Press
and Information Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
during the evening the Armenian khachkar (commemorative cross-stone),
which was presented to Provence-Alpes-Cotes d’Azur region by Karekin
II, the Catholicos of All Armenians, last October during the visit
of Michel Vauzelle to Armenia, was solemnly opened in the large hall
of the Regional Council.