YEREVAN. - Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Saturday received the delegation headed by the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo.

Welcoming the guests, Nalbandian noted that he is happy to receive the old friend of Armenia Anne Hidalgo and the delegation members accompanying her, Armenian MFA press-service reports.

“It’s a great pleasure to welcome your delegation, whose composition symbolizes the solidarity of the French political forces with regard to the Armenian-French friendship,” the FM said.

For her part, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo stressed that it is a pleasure for her to be in Armenia on occasion of the festivities dedicated to the Day of Yerevan. And this occasion, according to her, can be used to discuss the further steps aimed at further development of ties and cooperation between the two cities.

The sides also touched on the issues concerning the expansion of the Armenian-French ties and decentralization of cooperation between the two countries.

“Your sincere dedication to the Armenian-French friendship was expressed during your entire activity and it is pleasant to have passed part of that path together.  We recall with special gratitude how you personally turned off the Eiffel Tower lights in memory of the Armenian Genocide victims in the evening of April 24 last year,” Nalbandian said.

He also awarded Anne Hidalgo with the Armenian MFA Medal of Honor for her significant contribution to the strengthening of cooperation between Yerevan and Paris.