The renowned French singer of Armenian origin Charles Aznavour has been granted Armenian citizenship by presidential decree, the presidency of the ex-Soviet republic said Friday.
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has signed a decree granting Armenian citizenship to the prominent singer and public figure, a hero of the Armenian people, Charles Aznavour, the presidency said in a statement.
Born Shahnur Aznavourian, the 84-year-old singer is among the best-known figures of France s 400,000-strong Armenian diaspora. He was born in Paris to Armenian parents.
After the 1988 earthquake in Armenia which killed 25,000 people, Aznavour set up a foundation and organized a series of charity concerts to help quake victims.
He also serves as Armenia s permanent delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The author of over 1,000 songs, Aznavour is one of France s most popular singers and is the first French performer to have a recording that went platinum in Europe. He sold over 100 million records worldwide.
In 1998 he was named Entertainer of the Century by CNN and Time Online. -AFP
