&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Emmanuel Macron sings Aznavour in Yerevan, joins Nikol Pashinyan in viral musical moment")
French President Emannuel Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stole some of the spotlight, in the state dinner in Armenia with a diplomatic duet on Monday Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. Macron sang ‘La Boheme’ by Armenian-French musician Charles Aznavour, while Pashinyan was on drums and the celebrated jazz musician Vahagn Hayrapetyan was on piano. In addition to La Boheme, Macron also sang, “Les Feuilles Mortes” by Yves Montand. Macron was later spotted at a local cafe singing the French national anthem "La Marseillaise," with a crowd.
The event was held at Armenia’s presidential residence on Monday night and was in Macron's honour. Macron was in Armenia for the 8th European Political Community (EPC) Summit and the first-ever Armenia-European Union Summit. Other notable presences included European Union President Ursula Von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan and other Armenian officials.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called Macron a “great friend, brother and relative” of the Armenian people. The moment went viral globally, and it was quoted by the media as a “rare moment” of musical diplomacy. Armenian leader Pashinyan, who took office in 2018, is known for flexing his musical taste on social media. Observers noted the choice of "La Bohème" by Charles Aznavour, one of the most famous French-Armenian icon who was a powerful symbolic gesture that resonated with the shared cultural legacy of the French and Armenian legacy; it also deeply resonated with the local audience.
