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On October 9, the President of the RA National Assembly Ara Babloyan met with the delegation headed by Jacques Chagnon, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie being in Yerevan within the framework the 17th Summit of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF), comprised of the AFP Parliamentary Secretary General, the NA Member of France Jacques Krabal and the MPs from Switzerland and Romania. The Head of the RA NA Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie Margarit Yesayan and the RA NA Chief of Staff-Secretary General Ara Saghatelyan also took part in the meeting.

Welcoming the guests Ara Babloyan highlighted their visit to Yerevan within the framework of the Francophonie Summit.

According to the RA NA President, today the Francophonie has become part of our life. The Head of the Parliament has underlined with satisfaction that Armenia and the RA National Assembly have assumed an important role in spreading Francophone values: accordingly in 2012 Armenia and in 2014 the National Assembly have received a new status of permanent member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie and the Parliamentary Assembly.

“The holding of the Francophone Summit in our country, which is an unprecedented international event, is one more sign of our devotion to Francophonie. It will promote the expansion of the influence of Francophonie in our region in favour of solidarity, peoples' equality, dialogue, democracy, protection of human rights, cultural diversity and other values and principles, which we share with other members of Francophone family,” Ara Babloyan said.

According to the Head of the legislative body, the Summit will be the greatest event ever held in Armenia and will promote the strengthening of the relations of our country with other Francophone member states. He documented that the Republic of Armenia concentrated its whole forces for providing the success of the Summit and giving a beautiful festivity to the Francophonie.

As to the President of the National Assembly, the bad news about Charles Aznavour's death on the eve of the Summit gave sadness to this festivity. “Chanson's death was great loss not only for the Armenian and French peoples, but for the whole Francophonie. Being inspired by his roots Aznavour was the Ambassador of the French language, he was the embodiment of Francophonie and its values,” Ara Babloyan underlined.

Ending his words the RA NA President has added that the French is the basis which unites the Francophone countries and through which the peoples can share their ideas, convictions and the future programmes.

After the meeting in honour of the Francophone parliamentarians on behalf of the RA NA President Ara Babloyan an official dinner was given.