PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICIAL VISIT TO FRANCE
Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Oct 26 2007
Armenia
Serge Sargsyan left Washington for France October 24, thus starting
his official visit to that country. In the evening of the first day
of the visit, a great reception was held in Paris in the honor of
Serge Sargsyan, with the participation of the members of the Senate
and the National Assembly, the Mayors and the Heads of the chief
French-Armenian organizations. "Today I am here to discuss with your
country’s top leadership the key issues of the Armenian-French agenda
and the prospects of our cooperation, and I am sure that our meetings
will, as usual, be held in an atmosphere of mutual understanding. My
confidence is not something accidental; it is based on our past as
well as present-day warm and close ties, which we, without hesitation,
characterize as particular. The mutual understanding established
between our countries, as well as the close and frequent contacts
have already become traditional. There really passes no year without
our Presidents’ meeting each other several times. Thanks to France,
we have our true partner in Europe, which shows unreserved support to
Armenia’s consistent integration to the European structures. France
is sincerely interested in easing the tension in South Caucasus
and establishing stability and makes constructive efforts in that
direction. You all are aware that France has a useful role in the
Karabakh settlement talks, being involved in the OSCE Minsk Group
together with the United States and Russia. We are successfully
cooperating with France in most different spheres.
Today there are 120 enterprises operating in Armenia due to the French
capital. This number is impressive, especially considering that it
includes names enjoying international reputation, e.g. "Alkatel",
"Veolia", "Sor", "Credit Agricole", "Air France", "Perno Richard"
etc. "Sanofi-Aventios" and "Societe Generale" are going to enter
our country. I would like to touch upon an event which is already
an irreversible page in the history of our relations. That is, the
Year of Armenia in France, which seems to have become the sum of our
rich and most ancient ties as well as the eventful every-day life
we have now. I am sure the Year of Armenia will become an important
incentive not only for cultural, but also economic, educational and
scientific exchanges, and why not – deepen the close human contacts
and strengthen the traditional friendship between our countries and
peoples still further."