Armenia prepares to host Francophone Games with great responsibility, says minister

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has met with International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) Representative for Central and Eastern Europe Eric Poppe, the ministry reported.

Andreasyan highly valued the effective cooperation established with the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) and emphasized Armenia’s active participation in the organization’s initiatives. The Minister noted that Armenia is preparing with great responsibility and readiness to host the 10th Francophonie Games (Jeux de la Francophonie) in 2027, viewing the event not only as a major sports tournament but also as a cultural bridge between the Francophone community and Armenia.

Andreasyan informed that a delegation headed by Arayik Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister’s Office, and President of the National Committee for the Francophonie Games, had meetings in Paris with OIF leadership. The delegation also studied the experience of organizing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which will be useful in planning and holding the 10th Francophonie Games in 2027.

Eric Poppe expressed gratitude for the warm reception and highly valued the cooperation established with Armenia. He emphasized that the Francophonie Games will be held for the first time in a country where French is not an official language. According to him, this presents a significant opportunity to promote Francophone values and deepen intercultural dialogue. Poppe also stressed the importance of involving French-speaking volunteers in the organizational process and noted that the OIF continues to implement several teacher mobility and exchange programs.

In turn, Minister Andreasyan underlined that hosting the Francophonie Games is an important step in promoting French language education and the Francophone values of peace, democracy, humanism, and diversity. She noted that students from the French University in Armenia (UFAR), Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences, Yerevan State University, as well as pupils from several French-language high schools, are already involved in the preparation process. The Minister added that opportunities are also being considered for the participation of French-speaking Armenian youth from the diaspora.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the sports component of the Games, including the necessary infrastructure for holding the competitions and other organizational issues.