Diaspora minister satisfied with conditions created for Armenians in Lyon

15:38, 6 March, 2018

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Diaspora minister Hranush Hakobyan on March 6 received Mayor of Lyon Georges Képénékian, reports Armenpress.

During the meeting the minister and the Mayor discussed issues relating to the Armenian community of Lyon.

The meeting was also attended by delegation members of the Lyon Mayor.

At the meeting the Diaspora minister said she is very happy for Georges Képénékian’s visit to Armenia.

“Lyon is a unique city for our ministry as many Armenians live there, nearly 150.000 Armenians live in Rhône-Alpes, and nearly 50.000 of them live in Lyon. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Lyon authorities, as well as the former Mayor for the conditions created for preserving the language of the Armenian minority, culture and religion. I am very happy that Armenians in France are proud citizens, but they also remain committed to their language and roots. Our compatriots in Lyon feel very well and continue engaging in culture, education, business and contributing to these fields”, Hranush Hakobyan said.

The Mayor of Lyon thanked the minister for the reception and said the history of relations between Armenia and the Diaspora is a center-oriented history.

“Over the past 30 years the history forced to resist several difficult situations, war, starvation, earthquake, collapse of the previous system, and eventually building a new state and creating in these difficult conditions. We know that the Diaspora has always tried to participate in these processes. We have survived all this history together, but today the fact that the Mayor of Lyon is of Armenian origin, but bears two cultures on his heart, is a new sign. By this visit we want to open a new page in our mutual relations, create a new book within the frames of our cooperation”, Georges Képénékian said.

According to him, the two-day discussions already open new doors for cooperation.

The delegation of the Lyon Mayor arrived in Yerevan on an official visit on March 3-8.

English –translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan

 


© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am