YEREVAN. – Armenia is very delighted to be within the francophone family, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said on Wednesday during the annual meeting of the General Assembly of International Association of Francophone Mayors held in Yerevan.

The President welcomed 350 representatives arrived from 50 states, Presidential press service informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Armenia experienced a real French month recently. A month ago I was in Paris by the invitation of the French President Nikolas Sarkozy. Later Sarkozy came to Armenia strengthening friendship between our states and people. Yerevan currently hosts the annual meeting of the General Assembly of International Association of Francophone Mayors.

We are very delighted to be within francophone family. We deeply share the values declared by the organization, among them cultural diversity and people’s right to live free, peacefully and independent.

The French language and francophone exist in all spheres of Armenia from French kindergarten to French University in Armenia, from scientific and cultural spheres to journalistic and business spheres.

We have about 30 direct connections within the decentralized cooperation. Those connections and relations are a unique assembly of self-governmental bodies,” Sargsyan’s welcoming speech reads.