Friday, September 27 2019 11:07

ArmInfo. Armenian  President Armen Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to the family  of ex-President of France Jacques Chirac.

According to the press service of the President of Armenia, ArmInfo  was informed in a telegram of condolences, in particular: "I learned  with great bitterness about the death of Jacques Chirac. As a  prominent political figure and personality, Jacques Chirac, by his  activity, patriotism, courage and great responsibility was an example  to follow "His death is a great loss for France, to which he devoted  his life.  The name and deeds of Chirac will always remain in our  memory and hearts, as a great friend of the Armenian people and  Armenia. Accept my sincere condolences."

Yesterday it became known that at the age of 86, ex-French President  Jacques Chirac passed away.  Jacques Chirac was born in the south of  the country, after studying and serving in the army he took up  politics. In his youth, he sympathized with the Communists, later  became the leader of the right. He played a large role in the  campaigns of Charles de Gaulle and Georges Pompidou. Under the  latter, Chirac served as Minister of Agriculture.

Under the next president, Giscard d'Estaing was appointed prime  minister. He was later ousted, and he led the opposition party, the  Union in Support of the Republic.

Since 1977, he served as mayor of Paris. In 1986 - already under  Francois Mitterrand - Chirac again headed the government and became  the only French politician who twice served as prime minister. After  losing to Mitterrand in the 1988 presidential race, he again went to  the opposition, but in 1995 he again voted and won. Under Chirac, the  presidency declined from seven to five years. He headed the Fifth  Republic for 12 years, becoming the second after Mitterrand for the  duration of his reign.

Chirac was also a great friend of the Armenian people. He was  personally involved in the Karabakh conflict settlement process,  during public speeches he always spoke out in support of Armenia,  highly appreciated the friendship between the Armenian and French  peoples. In 2006, Chirac paid a state visit to Armenia. The opening  ceremony of the French Square in Yerevan was dedicated to his visit.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by France precisely during the  presidency of Jacques Chirac. In 1998, the French National Assembly  passed a law recognizing the Armenian Genocide, and in 2000 a similar  law was passed by the Senate. In 2001, both houses of parliament  passed a law recognizing the Armenian Genocide. In October 2006, the  Lower House of the French Parliament, the National Assembly, approved  a bill under which denial of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman  Empire in 1915-17 was criminalized. Denial of the massacre of  Armenians is punishable by imprisonment for one year and a fine of 45  thousand euros.

Jacques Chirac himself not only recognized the Armenian Genocide, but  also repeatedly called on Turkey to follow the example of France.