French writer Sylvain Tesson will visit Armenia as part of the Francophonie Days in Armenia.
The press conference, which took place Wednesday at the French Embassy in Armenia, was dedicated to this upcoming event.
As the French Ambassador Olivier Decottignies informed at the opening of this press conference, these Francophonie Days in Armenia will be dedicated to famous Armenian diplomat Christian Ter-Stepanian, who died last year.
The ambassador emphasized Armenia's active participation in the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), recalling that French is the third most spoken language in Armenia—after Russian and English. According to the diplomat, the OIF participation of Armenia, which is in a difficult geopolitical situation, will expand the horizons of contact with French speakers, whose number is 144 million. Armenia opens its monuments to foreigners, showing how the country can be reborn through language and culture.
The ambassador informed that the net OIF summit will be held in France on October 4, in which Armenia will participate as well.
More than 30 events in the genres of cinema, theater, modern art, and music will be held within the framework of the Francophonie Days in Armenia. And these events will be held not only in the capital Yerevan, but also in Gyumri, Gavar, and Vanadzor cities.
In turn, Lukas Rosenkranz, Ambassador of Switzerland to Armenia, noted that Francophonie is not only about language, but also about values.
"Each country makes its contribution. Armenia is one of the countries whose contribution is particularly remarkable, considering its small size and the small number of speakers of the language. Armenia is open to all other cultures. Mutual enrichment enables creating universal values, which Armenia demonstrates," the Swiss diplomat emphasized.
And Davit Knyazyan, Head of the Department of Multilateral Policy and Development Cooperation of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), informed that famous French writer Sylvain Tesson will visit Yerevan. The screening of the film "On the Black Road," based on his work, will take place on March 18 at the National Library of Armenia. Then a discussion will be held with Tesson's participation. The full list of events will be posted on the website of the Armenian MFA in the coming days.
More than 62 thousand schoolchildren study French in Armenia, and 250 schools, high schools, and universities teach French in the country. And in 2027, Armenia will host the Francophonie Games, which will be attended by more than 4,000 representatives from 50 countries.
