La Francophonie Summit opens in Yerevan

The biggest ever gathering of foreign leaders ever to be held in Armenia, opened this morning in Yerevan. The summit of La Francophonie, the organisation of french speaking nations heard speeches from French president Emanuel Macron, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and other leaders who have gathered in the Armenian capital for the summit.

In a passionate address to the summit, French president Macron said that it was not only the french language that brought the countries of la Francophonie together, but also a shared vision of peace, brotherhood and justice.  The French president said that today, a great big family has gathered in Yerevan, a family which includes all continents. "We all belong to this family and don't have the same skin color, our Gods don't have the same names, some also don't believe in God. We live in different climate conditions, our songs aren't similar. We've also had wounds which are only beginning to heal. Nevertheless, this diverse family is united around one language. We perceive and express this language with diversity, however we all understand each other. This language doesn't belong to anyone, it is everyone's. This language was able to accept the thoughts of everyone. Our communication is expressed not only through this language but also our vision addressed to the world. Our vision is regularly being reconsidered and updated. Brotherhood, peace and justice are the cornerstones of our organization."

Many leaders addressing the summit have highlighted the importance of young people and the need to engage more with them.

Many of the leaders present hailed the memory of the French-Armenian cultural figure, Charles Aznavour, who died last week.

source: commonspace.eu with agencies

photo: French president Emanuel Macron addressing the summit of La Francophonie in Yerevan on 11 October 2018 (picture courtesy of Armenpress, Yerevan).


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