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The delegation of Bouches-du-Rhône department of France, headed by Department Council President Mrs. Martine Vassal was hosted by Nicolas Aznavour, the co-founder of the Aznavour Foundation, and Kristina Sarkisyan, CEO of the foundation, on Thursday, 30 May.

The meeting took place in Yerevan, in the future Aznavour Centre, where this unique project was presented to the guests, the Aznavour Foundation reported. The Aznavour Centre will open its doors in 2021, following a complete renovation of the building. The monument will house an interactive tech museum focused on the life and career of Charles Aznavour, as well as a cultural and educational centre for youth, where programs will be implemented in three areas: cinema, music, and French language. The Aznavour Center will also host a French Institute that will be a real cultural platform for French culture with a large media library and certified langauge courses.

During the meeting, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Aznavour Foundation, Bouches-du-Rhône and the Buzine Castle (Château de la Buzine) located in Marseille. The sides expressed readiness to contribute to the further development of French-Armenian cultural ties through the implementation of joint projects.

The first project being implemented in the framework of cooperation is the Aznavour exhibition opened at Buzine Castle. The unique collection presented at the castle includes precious materials - memorabilia, documents, manuscripts, correspondence, objects, photographs, videos, records, posters, outfits and various accessories that the legendary artist kept in his Mouriès house. The Aznavour family wished that the royalty fee is directed to the Aznavour Foundation, so a donation was made by the Castle to the Foundation. The Castle is also committed to use its experience and knowledge to develop cultural programs for the future Aznavour Center.

Thanks to the efforts of the Departmental Council of Bouches-du-Rhône, notably with the support of Didier Parakian, Deputy Mayor of Marseille, a tribute concert to Charles Aznavour was also organized in Marseille on Thursday. Other local partners also contributed to the organization of this concert, the proceeds of which will be directed to the Aznavour Foundation for the implementation of cultural projects.