Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia

09/14/2024 | Press release | Archived content

'Day of Armenia' in Luxembourg's Cultural Capital

"Day of Armenia" in Luxembourg's Cultural Capital

14 September, 2024
On September 14, within the framework of "Day of Armenia" a concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the renowned Armenian chansonnier Charles Aznavour took place in Théâtre d'Esch, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg followed by a reception in on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia, an exhibition dedicated to the endangered Armenian Christian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as business discussions between representatives of private sector from Armenia and Luxembourg. During the event, Armenian products and symbols were also displayed, along with film about Armenia.
The event was organized in cooperation with the Municipality of Esch-sur-Alzette, and the concert part was co-organized with the Embassy of France in Luxembourg.
The event was attended by high-level officials from Luxembourg, including Mr. Claude Wiseler, President of the Chamber of Deputies, MPs, members of the European Parliament, government representatives, diplomatic corps, cultural and artistic figures, representatives of the Armenian community, and others.
Tigran Balayan, the Ambassador of Armenia to Luxembourg and Belgium, and Head of the Armenian Representation to the European Union delivered opening remarks. Ambassador Balayan emphasized the importance of Armenia's 33-year path of independence and the challenges the Armenian people faced in achieving and maintaining it. The Ambassador highlighted the determination of the Armenian people to continue moving forward in building an independent, democratic state, noting that independence has been and remains the primary value.
Ambassador Balayan stressed the importance of deepening Armenian-European cooperation, particularly the progress made in strengthening relations with the European Union in recent months.
He also made a special reference to the deepening of cooperation between Armenia and Luxembourg. He noted that Luxembourg is particularly dear to him and spoke about the positive results of bilateral relations. In particular, Ambassador Balayan mentioned the opening of the Armenian Embassy office in Luxembourg, the visit of the representative delegation led by the Speaker of the Luxembourg Parliament to Armenia in May, as well as the official visit of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel to Armenia, the visit of the delegation led by the mayor of Petange to Dilijan, emphasizing that these visits gave new momentum to the Armenian-Luxembourgish relations.
Ambassador Balayan brought special attention to the issue of Armenian prisoners of war illegally held in Azerbaijan, highlighting that they are deprived of the opportunity to celebrate Independence Day. He read the names of the Armenian hostages and reminded the audience that the Luxembourg Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on this issue.
In addition, the Ambassador's speech addressed the role of the renowned French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour, who is considered a universal cultural treasure. The Ambassador noted that through his art, Aznavour united the French and Armenian peoples, and his work and songs remain a spiritual bridge between the two cultures. Aznavour's legacy was highlighted as a cultural link and a shared heritage for Francophone countries, including Luxembourg, which is also a member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
At the end of his speech, the Ambassador expressed his gratitude to all the partners who supported the organization of this event.
The opening remarks were followed by the concert entitled "Aznavour 100". Under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and within the "Aznavour 100" project, the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra, with artistic director Davit Melkonyan and singers Gor Sujyan and Inga Arshakyan performed Aznavour's most famous songs in jazz interpretation.