On Apr. 25, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan received students of Paris’s “Dprotsaser” School led by the School’s Principal Haig Sarkisian. The students’ visit to Armenia is under the auspices of French-Armenian businessman Sarkis Bedoian.

For 7 years, French-Armenian businessman Sarkis Bedoian has been sponsoring the students’ visits to the Homeland to lay flowers at the Armenian Genocide Memorial on April 24^th and get to know Armenia.

Greeting the students, the RA Minister of Diaspora praised the teachers’ efforts to provide the students with a brilliant Armenian education and maintain their ties with the Homeland.

The more than 240 students of “Dprotsaser” School study Armenian, are introduced to Armenian history and literature and learn about the crimes that Ottoman Turkey perpetrated against the Armenians in the early 20^th century.

“Most of you have heard stories about the sites worth seeing in Armenia from your parents and have read books about them, but seeing the Homeland with your own eyes is totally different. I thank Mr. Bedoian who has been sponsoring the students’ visits to Armenia for all these years,” the minister said as she addressed the students and added: “I am certain that you will share your impressions of the Homeland with your friends in France. The most important thing is for you to tell your French friends about the Armenian Genocide and demand that the authorities of your country of residence be consistent with recognition of the Armenian Genocide at the international level.”

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan called on the youth to have good knowledge of the Armenian language, become familiar with the Armenian culture and stay clung to the Armenian faith by visiting the Armenian Apostolic Church often.

The students watched a video about the programs of the RA Ministry of Diaspora and heard how their peers shared their impressions of the “Ari Tun” Programs.

The students of “Dprotsaser” School of Paris were given the Western Armenian version of the “Learn from the Greats” Collection published at the initiative and by the order of the RA Ministry of Diaspora, as well as a DVD showing episodes from the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival.