“I hereby officially declare the Year of Armenia in Nice open at this moment.” With these formal and customary words, Jacques Peyrat not only announced this event that will last a year. Above all, he paid tribute to the Caucasian republic whose people have suffered too often from being at the crossroads of the West and the East. Referring to the recent laws on the Armenian genocide, the Senator Mayor, in a solemn tone, affirms that “we must not go back on what science has told us about the genocide, what history tells us, what the suffering of the survivors cries out to us, and what from now on in France the law proclaims. For a year, we will discover a culture but let us never forget those who wanted to destroy it.”
His Excellency Edvard Nalbandian appreciates the honors bestowed upon his country and is grateful for the gestures coming from France. He recalls the common history of the two countries and “the depth of the ties of friendship that have been established for centuries between Armenia and France. The history between the two countries is a continuous story of sympathy and trust, with several bright pages where Armenians and French have stood side by side in their struggles, their joy, and their difficulties.” This fraternity was cemented by the visit of Jacques Chirac to Armenia, a few weeks ago for the first time.
For a year, the people of Nice, the inhabitants of the French Riviera, and tourists will have the opportunity to discover the rich cultural heritage of this small country of 30,000 square kilometers landlocked between Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Armenia will be part of the festivities for Christmas, Carnival, Nice Expo, and more. Jacques Peyrat hopes to be able to visit soon the country of Charles Aznavour, Gregory Peck, David Nalbandian the tennis player, Kasparov the chess player, and many other celebrities representing the significant diaspora. The Mayor of Nice has promised the Armenian community to build a monument to honor the dead in the coming months so that we never forget how much this country and its people have suffered.
