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Archaeology is not secondary for France since there are many political elements in archaeology. This is what Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Armenia Jonathan Lacôte said during today’s press conference devoted to the end of archaeological excavations at Erebuni Fortress.

According to him, Armenia is located in a region where there may be cases when certain sides try to appropriate certain historical heritage.

Lacôte added that, from this perspective, the heritage of the Armenian Urartu Kingdom is of major significance and is very important for the history of Yerevan and ancient history, and Armenia is a part of that history.

“The excavations are part of the large programs that France is carrying out for protection of heritage. France will launch cooperation with Armenia for protection and preservation of historical heritage that will last a few years. France knows that Armenian heritage is currently under threat, and we want to support Armenia in order to protect and identify the heritage,” Lacôte stated, adding that this is the area of the Armenian-French cooperation in which President of France Emmanuel Macron would like to deepen cooperation.

The first systematized excavations at Erebuni Fortress were carried out back in the Soviet era. A group of Armenian and French archaeologists has been working at Erebuni Fortress since 2008. During this period, various items have been discovered. After the first program for a study on the territory through the use of special drones, new technologies were used again in 2021. It is proposed to introduce a methodology for evaluation, particularly through digital technologies. This research project is being carried out by Yerevan Municipality, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French Embassy in Armenia.

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