Robert Kocharian congratulated Sarkozy on victory in presidential race

07.05.2007
PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian President Robert Kocharian sent a congratulatory address to Nicolas Sarkozy on election the French President, the RA leader’s press office says. “Dear Mr Sarkozy. On behalf of the Armenian people I congratulate you on the election the President of France and wish you every success in the office.

Traditions of close friendship and understanding between our countries and peoples strengthened during the recent years thanks to efficient cooperation on the state level. I am convinced that we will deepen these ties with governmental and our personal meetings.

I attach great importance to ongoing and efficient high-level dialogue between Armenia and France on numerous international, European and regional issues. With warm feeling I recollect our Parisian meeting in February and discussion of prospects of the Armenian-French relationships. I am hopeful we will have plenty of opportunities to consider the issues in future,” the message says.

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Names to watch out for in Sarkozy presidency

May 6, 2007
Expatica

"Patrick Devedjian, 52, is a senior member of Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and was a junior minister between 2002 and 2005. During the campaign, he was regularly on the air-waves arguing Sarkozy's case. He is of Armenian origin and a vocal campaigner for recognition of the Armenian "genocide"."

PARIS, May 6, 2007 (AFP) - As president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy will appoint the country's next prime minister and help draw up the list of cabinet ministers. Here are some names to watch out for.

Francois Fillon, 53, is cited as a likely prime minister. A close advisor to Sarkozy, Fillon regularly deputised for him in media interviews during the campaign. As social affairs minister from 2002-2004, he saw through a major reform of the pensions system. He is seen as a calm and competent pair of hands. Senator for the Sarthe department of western France, he is married to a Welsh woman and has five children.

Jean-Louis Borloo, 56, is also named as a possible prime minister. Since 2004 minister of employment and social cohesion, Borloo is seen as a popular politician with a strong record of help for the disadvantaged. Once France's highest-paid corporate lawyer, Borloo has a touch of the eccentric genius. After serving as president of Valenciennes football club in the north of France, he was elected the town's mayor and won plaudits for his regeneration programme. He is married to television journalist Beatrice Schonberg.


Rachida Dati, 41, has become a national figure as Sarkozy's official spokeswoman during the campaign. One of 12 children born to north African immigrants, she worked for many years as an accountant before becoming Sarkozy's advisor on immigration in 2002. She strongly supports Sarkozy's ideas on affirmative action to help minorities and is a hot tip for a ministry in the new government -- especially as he has promised a significant number of woman ministers.

Arno Klarsfeld, 41, is the son of renowned Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld. A lawyer and human-rights activist, Klarsfeld fell out with the French left when he took Israeli citizenship in 2002 and served in the Israeli army. In the last two years Klarsfeld undertook several mediation missions on behalf of Sarkozy, who was serving as interior minister. He drew up a report on the expulsion of illegal immigrants and helped negotiate a deal to end protests by homeless campaigners.

Brice Hortefeux, 47, has been a close friend of Sarkozy since their youth in the Paris suburb of Neuilly. He is currently junior minister for local government, and is likely to get a senior post in the cabinet.

Patrick Devedjian, 52, is a senior member of Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and was a junior minister between 2002 and 2005. During the campaign, he was regularly on the air-waves arguing Sarkozy's case. He is of Armenian origin and a vocal campaigner for recognition of the Armenian "genocide".

Claude Gueant, 62, is a senior civil servant who was Sarkozy's cabinet director at the ministries of interior and finance. Since January he has been Sarkozy's campaign manager. His appointment as Sarkozy's secretary-general at the Elysee palace is seen as probable.

Xavier Bertrand, 42, was health minister from 2005 till earlier this year when he resigned to become campaign spokesman for Sarkozy.

Eric Besson, 49, was the Socialist Party's economic specialist until his spectacular departure earlier this year in protest against Segolene Royal's campaign. He launched a stinging attack on her in a best-selling book, and then publicly backed Sarkozy in the second round of the election. He appeared next to Sarkozy in several rallies. He is a possible ministerial nominee if Sarkozy wants to broaden his government outside the UMP.

Michele Alliot-Marie, 61, has been defence minister since 2002. Once seen as a presidential rival to Sarkozy, she rallied to his side in January and was active in the campaign.

Jean-Pierre Raffarin, 58, was prime minister from 2002 to 2005. He was a vocal supporter of Sarkozy during the campaign.


Copyright AFP


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Nicola Sarkozy elected President of France

07.05.2007
PanARMENIAN.Net

53 percent of French citizens voted for Nicola Sarkozy, former Minister of Interior, “Union for People’s Movement” (UMP) leader of right-wing party. Socialist candidate Segolen Royal gathered 47 percent of votes.

According to official information of French Interior Ministry, almost 85-86 percent of those eligible participated in the second stage of presidential elections, AFP reports. However 73.87 percent of French citizens participating in the voting of the first stage up to that moment. Totally for about 84 percent of citizens participated in the first stage of presidential elections. This is similar to the record, which was fixed during the first stage of the 1965 presidential elections, when Charles de Gaulle was elected Franc’s President.

Experts say under Sarkozy’s rule France pays and will pay special attention to the South Caucasian states – Armenia and Georgia. “First, because, as it is known, the Armenian Diaspora is very powerful in France. And second, a certain relation exists between French and Georgian political elite: a vivid example of those relations is the fact that French citizen Salome Zourabishvili became Georgian first Foreign Minister after the “rose revolution”, who used to work in the French foreign ministry before occupying that higher post in Georgia,” “Komersant-Vlast” reports.

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Paris to Host Turkish Minority Conference on Nov. 25

Wednesday , 22 November 2006
JTW

A conference on minorities living in Turkey will be held in Paris on Saturday as a part of activities marking the “Year of Armenian.”

The conference, to be held in the Parisian suburb of Versailles, is being referred to as "the common activity of the minorities once exterminated or oppressed by Turkey.”

The theme of the conference focuses on the past and future of the Armenian, Chaldean, Assyrian, Greek and Kurdish minorities. Leading figures from minority associations and academics will also take part in the conference.

France had declared September 2006 to July 2007 as the Year of Armenia, a step that has been interpreted as a move to win votes of the approximately 500,000 Armenians living in France ahead of the French presidential elections in 2007.

'Armenian genocide' postage stamp

A postage stamp themed the 'Armenian genocide' has been printed in France for the first time as part of the Year of Armenia.

French postal offices will not distribute the stamps, which were printed by a collector. Those who are interested can purchase the stamps for two and a half Euros and use them on their letters.

CHA with courtesy of Zaman
22 November 2006

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