After participating in the Conference of Ministers of Diaspora held on the sidelines of the International Dialogue over Migration (IDM) in Geneva, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan on 19 June left for Marseilles to participate in the “French-Armenian Excellence Week” that had been launched on 17 June. The “French-Armenian Excellence Week” was organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora, the RA Embassy in France and Terre d’Armenie organization and was held in Marseilles, which has been declared the culture capital of Europe.

The events were held with the participation of the Consul General of the Republic of Armenia in Marseilles Vardan Srmakesh and under the patronage of the municipality of Marseilles. The “French-Armenian Excellence Week” was supported by more than a dozen French-Armenian organizations, as well as French and Armenian media outlets.

Hranush Hakobyan also attended a concert featuring performances by the Union of French Youth (ZHAF). After the concert, Mrs. Hakobyan gave a speech and underlined the importance of the cultural centers of the Armenian Diaspora for preservation of the Armenian identity. The minister also granted the “Ambassador of the Native Language” Medals to teachers of the French-Armenian Youth Union Emma Martirosyan, Mikayel Vemyan and Marion Shamasyan for their contributions to the preservation and dissemination of the Armenian language and for educating and disciplining Diaspora Armenian youth.