On March 18, 2024, as part of the two months of Francophonie, the National Library of Armenia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, hosted the modern French traveler and writer Sylvain Tesson, and the deputy director of the Figaro magazine, Jean- Christophe Buisson.

The Director of the National Library of Armenia, Anna Chulyan, welcomed the French guests, as well as Deputy Minister of the Central Library of Armenia, Daniel Danielyan, and the ambassadors of the countries accredited in Armenia. During a brief tour of the library, Ms. Chulyan introduced the distinguished guests to the history of the founding of the National Library and the construction of the Tamanyan building. The guests were captivated as they watched the film 2023, based on Tesson’s novel. Following the screening, there was a discussion with Sylvain Tesson and Jean-Christophe Buzon, moderated by Ani Dzhanikyan, a teacher at the State University named after Valery Bryusov and a candidate of technical sciences.

The French-speaking students showed a keen interest in the plot of the adapted novel, which marked a significant turning point in the writer’s life. One of the questions that intrigued journalists covering the event was how much the two months of Francophonie in Armenia could contribute to strengthening French-Armenian relations. Sylvain Tesson emphasized that the days of Francophonie present an opportunity to further bolster the long-standing French-Armenian cultural ties. He was impressed by the deep knowledge of French culture among Armenians.

Tesson stressed that the selection of this film was deliberate. Much like the protagonist of the novel, who navigates challenging and dark roads to reach his destination during a difficult phase in life, the writer himself believes that the Armenian people will eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel and realize their dream. Tesson is confident about this.