Artsakh President Bako Sahakian and filmmaker Robert Guediguian launched Thursday, Nov 21, the 20th edition of the Phonathon, organized by Hayastan All Armenian Fund under the chairmanship of Bedros Terzian.

This year, Robert Guédiguian and his wife, actress Ariane Ascaris are sponsors of the European Phonathon.

"At the beginning, the Phonathon addressed major goals: food, medicine, education. This meant construction of hospitals, schools and road. But now we move to a higher stage, which implies creation of rural enterprises, with participation in economic development, particularly in agriculture and job creation. The best way to help curb emigration is to support the local development," Guédiguian told Paris-based journalist Jean Eckian.

In 2012, thanks to 700 volunteers from platforms in Orange Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and Cachan, more than € 1.42 million were collected for Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Syrian Armenians.