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On September 5 the RA NA President Galust Sahakyan received the delegation led by the Chairman of the Socialist Party Faction of the National Assembly of the Republic of France Bruno Le Roux. It should be noted that the French MPs’ visit is dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the death of the French public-political figure, and the great Armenophile Jean Jaurès, as well as in the framework of the events dedicated to the centenary of the Armenian Genocide. The RA NA Vice President Eduard Sharmazanov and the members of the NA Armenia-France Friendship Group attended the meeting.

Welcoming the guests in the parliament, the RA NA President Galust Sahakyan has noted that France occupies a special place on Armenia’s foreign policy agenda and the historical-cultural ties and the existence of the Armenian great and influential community in France serve as a serious factor in the inter-state relations with France.

To the RA NA President’s assessment, the relations between Armenia and France are characterized with the high level political dialogue, the effective cooperation established at inter-parliamentary level and the cultural, educational and scientific connections. Galust Sahakyan has noted with satisfaction that the Armenian-French Friendship Groups formed in the parliaments of the two countries have a great contribution to the development of the inter-parliamentary relations.

Touching upon the inter-parliamentary relations, the RA NA President highly assessed the effective activities of the heads of the Friendship Groups of the parliaments of the two countries and noted that, perhaps, there is a necessity to activate the mutual visits and contacts of the Presidents of the parliaments.

The Head of the parliament welcomed the creation of the “Friendship Format with Artsakh” and the French parliamentarians’ frequent visits to Nagorno Karabakh. He expressed hope that as political inheritors of the great Armenophile Jean Jaurès and carriers of Jaurès’ spirit of justice and humanism, the members of the delegation will continue the efforts for the rapprochement of cooperation between Armenia and France, in the advancement of the Armenian Cause and the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem. The RA NA President expressed hope that the French Parliament will be consistent in the adoption of the bill condemning the denial of the Genocide, as the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not only the problem of all Armenians, but also the international community. And that draft law is coherent with the character of France and will have its considerable role in fight for justice. The RA NA President Galust Sahakyan invited the French MPs to take part in the events dedicated to the centenary of the Armenian Genocide to be held in April 2015.

The Chairman of the Socialist Party Faction of the National Assembly of the Republic of France Bruno Le Roux noted in his word that the delegation members had visited the Memorial Complex of the Armenian Genocide and the Museum that morning, and they share the Armenian people’s tragedy. He expressed hope that in 2015 they would also visit Armenia and would be next to the Armenian people. In Bruno Le Roux’s opinion, the law on recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 2001 will become perfect, if it is accompanied with the law denying the condemnation of the Genocide. Bruno Le Roux has noted that they denounce the Azerbaijani side’s bellicose rhetoric, which does not promote the peaceful settlement of the NK issue. He has mentioned that France, as Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, has its share of responsibility in the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The French deputies have noted that for the first time they are going also to Javakhk and will get familiarized with problems of the Javakhk Armenians.