The President of the Senate of France Gerard Larcher paid tribute to the Armenian Genocide victims at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan on April 24.

In a speech, he noted that despite not having Armenian roots his “heart is beating like the heart of an Armenian” at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial.

“There are few places like this in the world. You come here full of emotions, being aware of what happened, and you leave changed. I am not Armenian, and I am not of Armenian origin, but right now my heart is beating like a heart of an Armenian,” Larcher said.

Speaking about the second Nagorno Karabakh War, Larcher said that wars never bring victories and the Tstitsernakaberd Memorial teaches that.

“20 years ago France recognized the Armenian Genocide, it happened at the initiative of President Jacques Chirac, this story makes us – the European French, to never forget. Tomorrow morning the memory of victims of the deportations committed by the Nazis must be commemorated in France. We must together remember about human dignity and democratic values. Long live the Republic of Armenia,” he said.