April 24, 1915 marked the beginning of a tragedy aimed at the extermination of an entire people, which claimed more than one million lives, French Minister Delegate for Veterans and Remembrance, Alice Ruff, said in a post on X.

Ruff noted that during her visit to Armenia with Aurore Bergé, they participated in official commemorative events at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

“111 years later, France’s presence in Yerevan is a manifestation of remembrance and loyalty,” Ruff wrote.

Aurore Bergé, France’s minister for gender equality and the fight against discrimination, emphasized that the bond between France and Armenia is not abstract, but historical, human, and enduring.

“Since 1967, the eternal flame has been burning in Yerevan. 1.5 million lives lost. Genocide,” she wrote, adding that remembering on April 24 means refusing to forget and never allowing denial or falsification to develop.