On July 21, the Office of the Association pour la Recherche et l’Archivage de la Mémoire arménienne (A.R.A.M, Association for Research and Archiving of Armenian Memory, President Jacques Oulusian) hosted an event attended by French Minister of Urban Development, Youth and Sport Patrick Caner, Prefe of Provence-Alp-Cot-de-Azur Stepan Maeau, Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Marseille Samvel Lalayan, Deputy of the National Assembly of France Henri Gibrael, selected representatives of the local self-government bodies, leaders of French and Armenian organizations, several members of the local Armenian community, Frenchmen and journalists, as reported the Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia in Marseille, according to Hayern Aysor.

Astrid Artin Lusigian, daughter of founder of A.R.A.M Garbis Artin, provided the attendees with details about the pro-Armenian activities of the organization, numerous valuable documents related to the first Armenian organizations established by Armenians who escaped the Armenian Genocide and settled in Marseille, various documents devoted to the assistance that the French government provided, photos of Armenian Genocide survivors, originals of many passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, refugee certificates and baptism certificates granted by the Armenian Patriarchate in southern France, as well as the participation of the French-Armenians in WWII and several other valuable documents leading up to our days.

In his speech, Minister Patrick Canner attached importance to the organizing of such events and praised the significance and activities of A.R.A.M, stating once again the law criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide that was recently adopted by the French National Assembly and assuring that the law would be confirmed by the Senate in October.

Consul Samvel Lalayan expressed gratitude to the Minister and the Prefe for their interest in, support and visit to A.R.A.M.