Dear Mme Secretary General,

Dear Mr Secretary of State,
Dear Colleagues,

Today, assuming the presidency of the Ministerial Conference of la Francophonie, first of all, I would like to thank the Madagascar for the brilliant work accomplished during the two years of Madagascan Presidency.

I would like to congratulate you, Mme Secretary General, for your determination, enthusiasm and consistency with which you advance the priorities of La Francophonie.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Armenia is proud to host the XVII Summit of La Francophonie.

Today Armenia has mobilized all its capabilities to ensure the success and international visibility of the Summit.

The Summit will take place on October 11-12, 2018. In continuation of the Yerevan Ministerial Conference, the pomegranate, which has a symbolic meaning in the Armenian culture, has been selected as a symbol of the XVII Summit.

We would like for this high-level meeting to become a major unifying event through cultural programmes, among memorable events of which will be the gala concert with the participation of prominent francophone singers scheduled for October 11.

We also plan to organize the Village of La Francophonie, where the countries of the International Organization of La Francophonie will present in their respective pavilions the cultural diversity, crafts and art of their people. The "Village of La Francophonie" will be located in the center of Yerevan, in the heart of Yerevan, where the festivities dedicated to the 2800-th anniversary of the city will precede the Summit.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The main theme of the Yerevan Summit, will be: "Living together in solidarity, sharing humanistic values ​​and respecting diversity: the source for peace and prosperity in the francophone area."

We also expect to work towards elaborating a new fundamental document of La Francophonie - Francophone pact for Living Together - where we can enshrine in a comprehensive manner the principles and values ​​of "Living Together". In this regard, we would like for the Youth Network of La Francophonie to join this process.

The summit will include other priority topics as well, such as cultural diversity, digital Francophonie, equality of rights of men and women, as well as sustainable development, fight against climate change.

Among the important events within the framework of the Summit, we intend to organize an Economic Forum of La Francophonie. We hope that in Yerevan it will be possible to create a basis for the launch of Francophone business and entrepreneurs network.

These are the goals, ladies and gentlemen, that we have set for the Yerevan Summit. We look forward to working together with all, the Secretary-General, Madagascar, all the member states and governments of the Organization, to ensure the success of the Yerevan Summit.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I invite you to watch a short film about the preparations for the Yerevan Summit that will give you a general idea about Armenia - the country hosting the XVII Summit of La Francophonie, as well as about the conditions in which the Summit will be held, the venue of the conference, its infrastructures and other practical issues.