Day: February 2, 2024

At the invitation of Xavier Bertrand, President of the Council of the Hauts-de-France Region, Armenian Ambassador to France Hasmik Tolmajian participated as a guest of honor in this year’s first plenary session of the Council, during which President Bertrand and members of the Council reaffirmed their full solidarity with the people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The representative of Nagorno-Karabakh Hovhannes Gevorgyan was also present at the meeting.

Condemning Azerbaijan’s encroachments on Armenia’s territorial integrity and the ethnic cleansing carried out against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, the chairman of the Council noted that the region has always been and will continue to stand by the Armenian people in the struggle to guarantee their rights and security. President Bertrand also attached importance to the preservation of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh and the soonest release of Armenian prisoners illegally held in Azerbaijan, reaffirming the commitment of the region he leads to make efforts in this direction.

The Council of the Hauts-de-France region also unanimously supported the resolution adopted by the French Senate on January 17, by which the latter condemns the military attack carried out by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh and demands to guarantee the implementation of the Armenian population’s right to return to Nagorno-Karabakh.

During the session, to the standing ovation of the audience, President Bertrand awarded the medal of honor of Hauts-de-France Region to Armenian Ambassador Hasmik Tolmajyan and Representative of Nagorno-Karabakh Hovhannes Gevorgyan.

Immediately after the meeting, Ambassador Tolmajian and President Bertrand opened a photo exhibition entitled “Historical and Cultural Riches of Armenia” in the large hall of the Hauts-de-France Regional Council, where the works of famous French-Armenian photographers Roger and Lidia Kasparyan are presented. The exhibition will run until February 29.