12:36,

YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to French President Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of the National Day, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister. The message says:

"Honorable Mr. President, dear Emmanuel,

On behalf of the Armenian people and myself, I warmly congratulate you and the fraternal people of France on the occasion of the National Day.

More than two centuries ago, on July 14, 1789, the French people, consolidating around the noble ideas of the supremacy of the values of freedom, equality and fraternity, recorded the victory of the popular will in the pages of world history and outlined the path of fundamental freedoms and democracy for the modern world with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.

The high values of universal significance, professed by France, have also been a source of inspiration for many Armenians who have survived the Armenian Genocide and found refuge in your country. Missak Manouchian, who sacrificed his life for the sake of France and its freedom, for the protection of universal values, best embodies the grateful attitude of the Armenian people towards France and its righteous struggle for freedom.

Taking this opportunity, I express my gratitude for your historic decision to move the remains of the hero of the Resistance Movement, Missak Manouchian, to the Pantheon. It is the greatest honor for the entire Armenian people, because Manouchian and his comrades-in-arms became a symbol of France's indomitable struggle on the way to victory against tyranny.

Armenia highly values the privileged relations established between our two states, which is vividly demonstrated by close high-level political dialogue and dynamically developing cooperation in all spheres.

We are grateful for your significant and ongoing efforts in the process of a just and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and your important support in addressing the security challenges facing Armenia. We especially appreciate the attention and efforts of France in the protection of the endangered historical and cultural heritage of Nagorno Karabakh.

Congratulating you again on the occasion of the National Day of the French Republic, I wish you success in your important mission and reaffirm my invitation to host you in Armenia on a state visit in the near future.

Sincerely, Nikol Pashinyan."