ArmInfo. On March 10, RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vahram Dumanyan received Jonathan Lacote, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Republic of Armenia. Deputy Minister Artur Martirosyan was also present at the meeting, the press service of the Ministry reports.
Welcoming the ambassador, the minister spoke about the Armenian-French multilateral cooperation, noting that there are all preconditions for the continuation and expansion of joint programs. "Last year was very difficult for Armenia, but we have always felt the support of France. Now we are taking practical steps to overcome the challenges associated with the war, the coronavirus epidemic. Taking into account the centuries-old Armenian-French friendship and rich experience of cooperation, the opportunities for permanent development of bilateral relations are wide ", Vahram Dumanyan said. Jonathan Lacote, thanking for the reception, confirmed his readiness to continue cooperation. "The best way to solve these problems is education, which is a key area of the Armenian-French relations. The French educational complex named after Anatole France and the French University in Armenia are vivid manifestations of this. The opening of the educational complex is planned on the eve of the summer holidays. We are sure that this will be one of the most beautiful French educational complexes in the world. As Charles Aznavour would say, our educational complex is 100% Armenian and 100% French, "the diplomat said.
Jonathan Lacote informed Minister Vahram Dumanyan of the intention to make the French University in Armenia international, noting that it may become a French-speaking international university in the Caucasus. The minister announced his readiness to assist and support the idea of expanding and developing the university.
The agenda of the meeting also included the issue of preserving the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan. "We are grateful for the support and participation of France in initiatives to preserve the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Armenia. This heritage is not only Armenian, but also universal," the Armenian minister said.
Ambassador Jonathan Lacote replied that this issue is in the focus of attention of the French side. "We are well aware of this painful problem. Back in November, the President of the French Republic, Emanuel Macron, convened a meeting to discuss the preservation of historical and cultural values. From this point of view, both work with UNESCO and bilateral cooperation are important for us. There is a danger of transformation of Armenian historical and cultural heritage, therefore it is possible that at this stage Azerbaijan realizes that it is under control, "the French diplomat emphasized. During the meeting, other issues of mutual interest were discussed, related to the development of interuniversity cooperation, the training of specialists in the field of culture, the implementation of joint Erasmus + programs.