France stands by Armenia for the preservation and restoration of the Armenian heritage, said French Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacôte in a statement.

This week, the French Embassy in Armenia is organizing the first training of the National Heritage Institute  (NIH) for the Armenian specialists, it will be held at the Matenadaran – the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts.

The course is the first stage of long-term Armenian-French cooperation in heritage field.

The program involves a five-year training cycle for the Armenian specialists, study programs including Armenian and French specialists and students, student exchange in heritage preservation field, and the restoration of symbolic objects of Armenian heritage.

Armenian heritage is a part of the global heritage of humanity and with such activities France stands by Armenia to ensure the preservation and valuing of its heritage, said Lacote.