STEPANAKERT. – A Declaration of Friendship was signed, on February 21, between the cities of Hadrut, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR; or Artsakh), and Vienne, France.

The official ceremony took place at Vienne City Hall, informs the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs press service.

On behalf of Hadrut, the declaration was signed by NKR Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Narine Aghabalyan, who was in France on a working visit, and on behalf of Vienne, by Mayor Jacques Remiller.

The declaration welcomes the consistent steps of the people and leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh aimed at the creation and development of a free and democratic society, and considers the isolation of the people of Artsakh unacceptable. It is to develop friendly relations between the two cities and boost cooperation in the educational, cultural, sports, and several other domains.

In 2013, friendly relations were also established between the NKR city of Martuni and the French city of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, and mutual visits took place, and the ways and forms of expanding cooperation between the towns are discussed.