President meets with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo

At the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic, RA President Serzh Sargsyan arrived in France today on a working visit. The presidential visit started with a meeting held with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

To begin with, the parties stated with satisfaction that the past 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations were marked by upward trends in the Armenian-French privileged relationships, characterized by close bonds of friendship and partnership and evidenced by active contacts maintained at all levels.

Having kept fond recollections of their previous meetings held in both Paris and Yerevan, the President of Armenia and the Paris Mayor highlighted the development and strengthening of cooperation between the partnering capitals which, according to President Sargsyan, were by far fostered and catalyzed by Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

The President expressed the hope that the wealth of mutual trust, as well as Mrs. Hidalgo’s impressions of her Armenia visits would lead to new substantial projects implemented between Yerevan and Paris. President Sargsyan congratulated her on Paris being recognized as the most innovative, most creative city in Europe within the framework of Horizon 2020. Serzh Sargsyan said he was well aware that the Yerevan and Paris Mayors were in close touch almost every day, and that Paris is ready to share its best experience with Yerevan, and there are already some demonstrations of this readiness.

In turn, the Paris Mayor praised the Armenian community of Paris, stating that numerous community representatives boast great achievements in different spheres and have made significant contribution to their city’s overall development, including public and political life. The Mayor highly appreciated the activities of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies and informed the Armenian President that they were going to set up a similar center in Paris this year which might become another bridge of friendship.

Taking the opportunity, President Sargsyan invited the Paris Mayor to attend the celebrations dedicated to Yerevan’s 2800th anniversary this year. Anne Hidalgo thanked the President and accepted the invitation.

President Serzh Sargsyan stated that the people of Armenia has a strong sense of gratitude and keeps in the records of history the names of those individuals sensitive to Armenian issues. In this regard, the President once again thanked the Mayor for close attention to issues of all-Armenian concern and the Armenian community in Paris.

The interlocutors touched upon the EU-Armenia relations in the light of the recently signed CEPA, as well as the upcoming reforms in Armenia.

After the meeting, a reception was held in honor of the Armenian President at the Paris City Hall, attended by Armenian community representatives. During the reception, the Armenian President and Paris Mayor delivered speeches.

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Address by President Serzh Sargsyan during reception held at Paris Mayor’s Office

Dear Mayor, dear friend of the Armenian people,
Dear Compatriots,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am glad to be here again at the Paris City Hall, which can be a credit to any country in the world with rich cultural heritage. Indeed, it is exciting for me to address my compatriots at a venue where the history of Paris, one of the most picturesque cities in the world, has been built for many centuries; where prominent figures - politicians, intellectuals and artists - have been hosted at all times.

My dear compatriots, I am also glad for your presence in this warm atmosphere. And thanks to you, I always feel proud when visiting this friendly country. In the face of you, strong with huge intellectual potential and a dignified stance, the hard-working Armenians have won a unique place of their own in this city and this country.

Every time I visit Paris and other Armenian-populated settlements in France, I discover anew how deep our historical ties are. As Victor Hugo has put it, “Paris opens its doors, and peoples come over as if captured by a giant magnet.” That magnet is the French people whose hospitable and humane spirit was once again demonstrated when they the Armenian Genocide survivors came to settle in this wonderful country.

Thank you, Mrs. Mayor, for the fact that Armenians in France and Paris continue to enjoy the careful attitude of the French authorities.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to once again praise my present and absent compatriots who were with us during the devastating earthquake, the imposed Artsakh war, as well as for supporting our effort to build the Homeland of our dreams. Dear compatriots, your presence is very visible in our country.

Armenia is overcoming difficulties by strengthening democratic institutions through all-inclusive, integrated reforms, promoting free market economy and information technologies, and implementing innovative ideas.

Mrs. Mayor,

Thank you very much for your work and for your words related to TUMO. You may know that Yerevan has learned a lot from Paris and has a lot to imitate. Let Paris learn something from Yerevan. We are grateful for that. Year after year, Armenia has been advancing its international involvement as a stable and reliable partner, enhancing its existing ties with traditional partners. In this regard, signed in November 2017 with the European Union, the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement is indeed a milestone the full realization of which is our primary commitment.

2018 is an important year for us, and among other things, this year we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia, the 2800th anniversary of Yerevan’s founding, followed by the 17th Summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie.

Of course, all these events are very important to us, but the Francophonie Summit is of special importance because it is perhaps the largest event in terms of its coverage as it testifies to the collective trust and confidence in our country of an institution which brings together half the globe.

I invite all of you to attend these memorable events. We will only be happy to do so. And I am very grateful, Mrs. Mayor, that you agreed to come and participate at least one of those events.

I am pleased to state that in recent years effective cooperation has been established between the City Hall of Yerevan and the International Association of Francophone Mayors which promotes the Francophonie movement in Yerevan.
Dear Mrs. Hidalgo,

I highly appreciate the cooperation unfolded at the decentralized level between our countries. Many joint projects, implemented in tourism, agriculture, education, culture, healthcare and other spheres as part of over six dozen partnership agreements, are of great importance not only in terms of socio-economic development, but also as a means to share values.

We will certainly pursue the introduction of European norms and standards in Yerevan and other cities of Armenia in a bid to make our cities more beautiful, more comfortable for their residents and guests.

I am glad that last year Paris was acknowledged to be the most innovative city in Europe under the Horizon 2020 program. I am confident that our capital has a lot to learn from Paris, be it good governance or the introduction of new technologies and environmental programs.

Of course, Yerevan will never be Paris, but we have mastered a lot in time and will continue to do so. If we want our ancient capitals to always help each other, then our contacts should be long-lasting, eternal, because contacts can strengthen friendship, cooperation, and result in new ideas.

Dear Compatriots,

Just a few minutes ago, we had a brief conversation at the Reception Hall of the Mayor’s Office, and I told her that the people of Armenia has a strong sense of gratitude and keeps in the annals of history the names of those individuals sensitive to Armenian issues. Mrs. Hidalgo is one of them, and I suggest applauding her for her warmth, sensitivity and kind attitude toward our people.
 

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Remarks by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, delivered during City Hall Reception

Mr. President,
Dear MPs,
Representatives of the Armenian community in France,
Chairmen of Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France Ara Toranian and Murad Papazyan,

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the City Hall.

Dear Mr. President, today’s meeting is an occasion to celebrate the ties of exceptional friendship between Paris and Armenia, and it should give new impetus to friendship and relations.

We have a common background and destiny, and we should always keep this in mind, especially as we need to build a common future.

Our two capitals’ present day is just the break-even point between the past and the future. At the moment, we have united our efforts. We spent out time exchanging opinions and working together in order to fulfill our promise of friendship.

I am glad to confirm that our important initiatives will be multiplied this year. This year we will commemorate the 24th of April, the Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, and on May 28, we will be celebrating Armenia’s Independence Day.

Armenia’s independence was suspended two years after the declaration, but the seed of freedom had already been sown, which became the basis for genuine parliamentary democracy, allowing women the right to vote by initiating various reforms. Thus, Armenia has a good opportunity to be in the first ranks of democracy.

The Armenian people, who survived the first genocide of our time, perceived independence just as a miracle, therefore we, the French and the Armenians, are bound by duty to remember and commemorate it forever.

I would like the Parisians to join all those who, like Clemenceau, admired Armenia’s bravery - the courage that saw the Armenian people through the ordeal of the 1915 Genocide, perpetrated under the cover of World War I.

We will also have some other important meetings: the October 2018 Summit of the Francophonie International Organization in Yerevan and the 2800th anniversary of your capital. Almost all MPs, members of my party, and representatives of the opposition joined me when I visited Yerevan in 2016.

I think that visit played a fundamental role and allowed us to understand what was both fundamental and not so much. I want to tell you that this visit to Yerevan was a wonderful opportunity to discover new people, country, opportunities and innovations. It was also an important moment in our political life.

Of course, we will continue to do this work, we will continue to move forward, but let me say that Paris has another important event scheduled for this September. We talked a lot about it before coming to this hall because it is important to me as it marks the history of Armenia and France.

In September, we will open a TUMO School in Paris. We entertained a common vision of that school, and we were very much inspired. We saw a school where the Armenian youth were taught the language of informatics looking forward to when the school would open its doors to step inside and attend exceptional academic programs. As a matter of fact, Yerevan, Armenia, TUMO have discovered something that we are going to imitate. We worked together owing to Armenia’s generosity as we were allowed to master that very method and have a TUMO school in Paris. At the same time, we should always mention that Yerevan and TUMO made it possible for our 12-18 year olds to be attended throughout their lifetime, by teaching them the language of informatics, preparing them for the digital economy.

I would like to tell you, Mr. President, that several months ago Paris was proclaimed the most innovative city in Europe and received a prize to that effect. When I talked about these issues with European Commissioner for Innovation Carlos Mouettas, he asked us how we were going to spend the one million euros, and I said we intended to set up a school without mentioning the name of TUMO. At that moment, he turned around and said, “Indeed, you mean TUMO School.” In other words, the European Commissioner was already aware of the achievements of the school.

This school, in the face of those children associated with it, symbolizes the future of Armenia, a fully European country, a country that is facing the future, well aware of its past, forgetting nothing.

The power that Armenia and the Armenians have, the survivors of the Genocide, has been handed over to many generations. That very power has always made you look forward into the future without forgetting the past, and that is exactly what we want to build together.

The inauguration of this school is not a mere school opening in Paris: it is the token of our friendship. The first school in the world opened in Armenia, the second one will open in Paris, and I am glad that Paris will become the second city in the world after Yerevan to offer its youth such a wonderful opportunity.

I would also like to tell you, Mr. President that we are working with Armenian organizations in France so that the Armenian community has a place of its own in Paris. We also work to create the Armenian Memory and Culture House.

It is important for us to identify a venue. With my whole team, with Pauline Veron, who will be in Armenia the day after tomorrow, we will continue working with this wonderful community.

I would also like to note, Mr. President that your country has an absolute right to live in peace and security, the absolute right to be known for its history, live without the blockades, without invasions and interferences, without threats to its borders.

We defend that right of yours, we reaffirm it every time we need to remind that the Genocide is indeed a historical truth; denial is immoral: it is an offense that should be criminalized. And together with you, we will carry on the fight, as we did before.

I would also like to note that thanks to this extremely vibrant initiative-oriented Armenian community, we are building our future here in Paris and in Armenia together.