Aoun Welcomes Regional Francophone Office in Beirut, Calls for Coexistence
At the opening of the Francophone Summit in Armenia on Thursday, President Michel Aoun welcomed the organization's decision “to adopt Beirut as the headquarters of its regional office in the Middle East,” as he voiced calls for coexistence.
“The decision of the francophone organization choosing Beirut as the headquarters of its regional office in the Middle East is most welcome,” said Aoun at the 17th IOF Summit in Yerevan.
“Amid the rise of the dark forces in the region, the Francophone is required to affirm its message of coexistence,” he added.
“The first human bonds at birth are the ones established with the mother, which will determine the person’s mother tongue in the future. That language will contribute to building the person's personality and characteristics. Later on, other acquired languages during the course of life would open up new prospects of personal enrichment,” Aoun went on to say.
"The more the languages one learns, the more humanely enriched he becomes," said Aoun, stressing that “the French language in Lebanon is akin to a mother language.”
"Languages are the link between different cultures and identities. Francophone aims not only at making the French language familiar within communities, but to deepening dialogue between civilizations and bringing people closer together," he said.
"Francophone's presence in the East is proof of the solidarity and interaction with the Arabic language and culture," President Aoun affirmed.
Source: Naharnet
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