The annual dinner of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF) was held in Paris.

The event brought together members of the French government, leaders of political parties, parliamentarians, diplomats, journalists, actors, and artists.

Interior minister Bruno Retailleau delivered a speech on behalf of the French government. Recalling that the Armenian issue is above all French political parties, the minister noted that the aforesaid dinner is a “meeting of friendship and loyalty.”

Retailleau said that his loyalty to the Armenian issue is first and foremost “physical” because, according to him, Armenia is the sister of France, as Anatole France had said.

“The international community has often not shown enough courage” in defending Armenia, Retailleau said. “In any case, France has always stood with Armenia, in its own way.”

Then, Retailleau listed the various domains of cooperation that exist between the two countries.

And turning to the matter of the release of the Armenian captives in Azerbaijan, Bruno Retailleau said: “My thoughts are with the 23 people, including Ruben [Vardanyan], tonight, who is risking his health and life for the values he believes in. I am thinking of them, and I hope that my words today will reach the borders of Azerbaijan so that the [Armenian] captives are released.”