ArmInfo. On December 1, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian attended the opening of the Third Armenian-French Forum on Decentralized Cooperation.
In his opening remarks, Minister Nalbandian said that he appreciates this important element in the Armenian-French friendly relations - the cooperation at the level of territorial administration and the traditional forum on decentralized cooperation. He noted that the links of territorial administration contribute to strengthening of friendship in the best possible way. "The Armenian-French political relations are at a high level. This is reflected in intensification of the high-level bilateral political dialogue, regular mutual visits of the Armenian and French Presidents, and frequent bilateral meetings on international platforms. Over the past few years, the Armenian-French interaction in various areas developed and deepened along with expansion of economic cooperation, promotion of contacts in cultural and education sectors. At the same time, decentralized cooperation was dynamically developing," Nalbandian said.
He pointed out that under 70 agreements on cooperation between the cities and provinces of Armenia and France, numerous joint programs in tourism, agriculture, education, culture and healthcare are annually implemented.
"I would also like to stress the importance of this forum in the context of decentralized cooperation within the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). This format has good prospects. You know that the 17th OIF Summit will take place in Armenia in 2018," he said.
To note, Minister of Territorial Administration and Development of Armenia David Lokyan, French Ambassador to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier, high-ranking representatives of local administrations of France participated in the event.
The Armenian-French Forums on Decentralized Cooperation are held once every three years in Armenia and France on a rotating basis. Issues of cooperation between the cities and provinces of the two countries are included in the agenda. "Armenia" group has been set up in France for coordinating the implementation of bilateral agreements, headed by well-known political figure Patrick Devedjian, while the "France" group in Armenia is headed by Echmiadzin's Mayor Karen Grigoryan.