The Gegharkunik region governor, Karen Sargsyan, received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Armenia, Olivier Decotigny. During the meeting, the parties discussed issues aimed at deepening and implementing ongoing cooperation in the security, economic, health, educational, and cultural spheres.
At the beginning of the meeting, Gegharkunik region Governor Karen Sargsyan presented to the Ambassador the frameworks, results, and upcoming tasks of the cooperation programs established between the Gegharkunik region and the Isere Department of the French Republic, stressing that many and varied projects have been implemented in the fields of education, culture, tourism, and healthcare for many years with the efforts of the parties, and long-term cooperation has turned into a strong friendship. Remote discussions were also added to the mutual visits, during which new program projects and directions of cooperation were put forward.
"France has proven its sincere friendship and assistance to the population of the Gegharkunik region of the Republic of Armenia not only in peacetime but also during the external threats and difficult days created for us in recent years, both in the fields of security, political, economic, and humanitarian support, which we express our warm gratitude. Now, the same cooperation and assistance continues, with a friendly and sincere attitude, which is most expressed in the form of supporting, providing moral and material support to the residents of the border communities of our region and the families forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh in September 2023," said Karen Sargsyan.
In his turn, Olivier Dkotinyi also highly appreciated the results of Gegharkunik-Izer cooperation and the unbreakable friendship achieved, emphasizing further expanding economic and cultural ties and implementing new projects.
"We are ready to cooperate in the fields of culture, education, healthcare, agriculture, urban development, and other areas to support many vital projects, especially if it concerns the strengthening and development of border settlements," the Ambassador said.
The region's governor presented the projects that have been implemented and those that are yet to be implemented by the Armenian government. Thanks to these initiatives, almost all the settlements in the area have experienced remarkable development in recent years. Karen Sargsyan also said that now in Tsovinar village of Martuni community, within the framework of Gegharkunik-Izer cooperation, the building of the village's outpatient clinic is being overhauled, the works of which will be completed in the middle of April 2024.
Olivier Dkotini promised to jointly open the overhauled outpatient clinic with the governor of Gegharkunik and, simultaneously, to support all the problems that will arise. At the end of the meeting, Karen Sargsyan presented the painting depicting Sevanavank to the Ambassador.
