On March 7, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the delegation led by Georges Képénékian, Мayor of Lyon.

Greeting the guest, Minister Nalbandian welcomed the visit of the delegation headed by the Мayor of Lyon to Yerevan and commended the personal contribution of Мayor Képénékian in strengthening the privileged relations between Armenia and France.

Expressing gratitude for the warm reception, Georges Képénékian noted that Lyon is ready to open, through practical programmes, a new page for deepening and strengthening the cooperation between Yerevan and Lyon in the spheres of economy, education and culture.

Mayor Képénékian briefed Foreign Minister on the results of his visit, touching upon the new partnership agreement signed between Lyon and Yerevan, the meetings in Tumo Center for Creative Technologies and French University of Armenia and the resulting agreements for cooperation.

The Mayor of Lyon informed that his delegation included representatives of business circles, educational institutions, libraries, museums and tourism industry, who had had meetings and effective discussions on collaboration with their counterparts.

The sides touched upon the Armenian-French decentralized cooperation, highlighting the importance of further development of cooperation within this format.

Minister Nalbandian and Mayor Képénékian acknowledged the continuous deepening and strengthening of the Armenian-French relations in all directions, attested to by the high-level bilateral visits, active inter-parliamentary cooperation, promotion of French investments in Armenia, and expansion of legal framework.

Foreign Minister of Armenia and Mayor of Lyon highlighted the valuable role of the French-Armenian community in the context of the initiatives aimed at strengthening the friendship between the two countries and deepening bilateral relations.

Minister Nalbandian and Mayor Képénékian exchanged views on the preparations for the Summit of La Francophonie to be held in Yerevan in October 2018. The interlocutors discussed in details the participation of representatives of Lyon in the Economic Forum and the events of La Francophonie Village envisaged within the framework of the Summit.