PARIS (Combined Sources)–Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who is on a visit to Paris, was joined by hundreds of French-Armenia’s and high level French government and military officials at a commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
Nalbandian laid a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and signed the golden book, following which the French and Armenian national anthems were performed with observance of a moment of silence.
While in Paris, Nalbandian met with UNESCO General Director Koichiro Matsuura on Wednesday, reported the Armenian Foreign Ministry Press Office.
Nalbandian stressed the necessity of the organization’s mediation and support in protecting Armenian historical and cultural monumen’s outside Armenia’s borders. Expressing concern over the destruction of Armenian khachkars in Nakhijevan, Nalbandian urged the UNESCO head to denounce and work to end the ongoing cultural genocide.
Nalbandian and Matsuura also discussed issues connected to UNESCO-Armenia cooperation programs such as the development of education, culture and information and telecommunication.
Matsuura congratulated him on assuming office and expressed hope that the close contacts and cooperation established in the past will continue. Matsuura also congratulated Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian.
Nalbandian was in Paris Wednesday meeting with a number of senior French officials, politicians, and heads of European organizations.
In his meeting with the Diplomatic Adviser to the President of France Jean-David Levitte, Nalbandian presented his government’s foreign and domestic programs, outlined a number of issues of mutual interest to both countries, and discussed current regional developmen’s.
Issues related to the current state of the Karabakh conflict negotiation process were discussed during Nalbandian’s meeting with the French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Bernard Fassier.
Questions connected with the expansion of government contacts and the deepening of cooperation with France were discussed during his meeting with French Secretary of State on Issues of State Service Andr? Santini.
In his meeting with Secretary General of the Union for Popular Movement Party Patrick Devejian, the Armenian minister underscored the dynamic development of Armenian-French relations and expressed confidence that the cooperation will continue to deepen.
Nalbandian also met with Director General of UNESCO Koichiro Matsuura, who congratulated him on assuming office and expressed hope that the close contacts and cooperation established in the past will continue. Matsuura also congratulated Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian.
Issues connected with concrete actions in the fields of education, culture and information and telecommunication within the framework of the document on national programming of cooperation between Armenia and UNESCO in 2008-2009 were discussed during their meeting.
During the meeting, Nalbandian reiterated to the UNESCO Secretary General the necessity of the organization’s mediation and support in protecting Armenian historical and cultural monumen’s outside Armenia’s borders. Expressing concern over the destruction of Armenian khachkars in Nakhijevan, Nalbandian urged the UNESCO head to denounce and work to end the ongoing cultural genocide.
In other news, Nalbandian and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov are set to meet within the framework of a special session of the Council of Europe Ministers’ Committee, which will take place in Strasbourg on May 7.
According to Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tigran Balayan, the proposal to meet was made by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs.
