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Macron, Pashinyan in Yerevan
French President Emmanuel Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan drew attention at an official dinner in Yerevan with an impromptu musical performance during Macron’s state visit to Armenia.
“Macron sang Charles Aznavour’s “La Bohème” while Pashinyan accompanied him on drums”
TVP World said Macron sang Charles Aznavour’s “La Bohème” while Pashinyan accompanied him on drums, “according to video from the event.”
France 24 described the moment as “an unusual scene that unfolded on Monday, in Yerevan, Armenia,” saying Macron joined in the singing of “La Bohème” by Charles Aznavour during the state dinner held in his honour.
Al Jazeera similarly reported that Macron sang “La Boheme” accompanied by “Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the drums during a state dinner in Yerevan.”
Multiple outlets placed the performance at a formal state dinner in Armenia’s capital, with Le Parisien adding that Macron was filmed “at the end of a state dinner in Yerevan” performing “La Bohème” by Charles Aznavour.
The same Le Parisien account said the Armenian president, Vahagn Khatchatourian, accompanied Macron at the piano, while Nikol Pachinian accompanied him on the drums.
In the video-focused framing from Ukrainian National News, the event also took place “during a state dinner of the leaders in Yerevan,” with Macron singing Aznavour and Pashinyan on drums, and it described Macron “sitting next to a pianist with a microphone in his hand.”
Songs, instruments, and guests
The musical interlude was built around Charles Aznavour’s “La Bohème,” with several outlets describing how the leaders shifted from formal state dinner protocol into a brief performance.
TVP World said the moment happened “at a formal dinner in the Armenian capital,” where “Armenia’s leadership hosted the French delegation as part of the visit,” and it described guests watching and applauding as the leaders joined the musicians.
BFM said Macron took the microphone to perform “La Bohème,” calling it “Charles Aznavour’s emblematic song,” and it described an improvised trio in which the Armenian president, Vahagn Khatchatourian, accompanied Macron “at the piano” while “Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan completed this improvised trio on drums.”
Le Parisien likewise described Macron singing with “microphone in hand,” with the Armenian counterpart at the piano and the prime minister on the drums.
In addition to “La Bohème,” BFM reported that Khatchatourian then launched into “Les Feuilles mortes” (“Autumn Leaves”), describing it as “a tune written by Jacques Prévert and made famous in Yves Montand’s version.”
CNews also described the same pairing of songs, saying Macron sang “La Bohème” and that “His counterpart also performed Yves Montand's 'Les Feuilles mortes.'”
Le Parisien added that “Nikol Pachinian also sang 'Les Feuilles mortes' by Yves Montand” during the evening when Macron was decorated with the Order of Glory.
Context: summit and visit
Several reports tied the performance to the broader diplomatic calendar of Macron’s Armenia trip and to the European Political Community summit hosted in Yerevan.
“EU leaders are there for the first ever bilateral summit with Armenia”
Al Jazeera said the moment occurred as “EU leaders are there for the first ever bilateral summit with Armenia,” describing Armenia as “a traditional Russian ally,” and it identified the setting as a state dinner in Yerevan.
The Arabic outlet آخر خبر placed the dinner “during a visit to the Armenian capital Yerevan,” and it said the dinner came “after a meeting that brought together about 40 European prime ministers and leaders,” adding that Armenia “hosted yesterday the European Political Community summit.”
The same آخر خبر account also described Pashinyan’s earlier musical moment, saying “Pashinyan had earlier surprised the leaders at an informal dinner on the preceding Sunday night by delivering a musical performance with his band, sitting behind the drums himself.”
BFM described Macron arriving in Armenia “on Monday morning to participate in the summit of the European Political Community (EPC),” and it said he was “set to conclude his state visit on Tuesday.”
Le Parisien similarly said Macron was filmed “during a state visit to Armenia,” and it stated that “This Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron will conclude his state visit by signing a strategic partnership enshrining 'unprecedented defense efforts' and opening 'new economic pages' between the two countries.”
CNews also linked the performance to the end of the trip, saying Macron was “wrapping up, this Tuesday, his state visit to Armenia,” and it described the atmosphere at the state dinner as “relaxed.”
Different outlets, different emphasis
While most outlets focused on the same core scene—Macron singing “La Bohème” and Pashinyan drumming—different reports emphasized different details and even different song pairings.
TVP World described the performance as an “impromptu musical performance” during Macron’s state visit and said Aznavour’s Armenian descent gave the moment “added symbolic weight for the host country.”
France 24 highlighted the leaders’ singing of “La Bohème” by Charles Aznavour during the state dinner, but its text also included technical prompts about enabling advertisement tracking and audience measurement, and it framed the moment as “Two presidents and a prime minister in an impromptu musical performance.”
Al Jazeera presented the same scene but added a diplomatic framing, stating that EU leaders were present for “the first ever bilateral summit with Armenia” and calling Armenia “a traditional Russian ally.”
BFM leaned into a broader narrative of France-Armenia ties, quoting Macron’s recollection that “Many in Europe looked at us as strange beasts” when others preferred to cultivate energy and trade ties with Baku, and it described the visit as leading to “a strategic partnership dedicating 'unprecedented defense efforts' and opening 'new economic pages'.”
Le Parisien also included quoted remarks from Macron, saying “Many in Europe looked at us as strange beasts to support Armenia so unconditionally,” and it added that he recalled “the welcome in Marseille of refugees during World War I” and “France's mobilization during the 1988 earthquake in Armenia.”
Le Parisien and BFM diverged on who sang “Les Feuilles mortes,” with Le Parisien saying “Nikol Pachinian also sang 'Les Feuilles mortes' by Yves Montand” while BFM said “Khatchatourian then launched into a rendition of 'Les Feuilles mortes'.”
After the applause
The reports tied the musical moment to what Macron was expected to do next in Armenia, including signing a strategic partnership and other agreements.
“This Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron will conclude his state visit by signing a strategic partnership enshrining 'unprecedented defense efforts' and opening 'new economic pages' between the two countries”
Le Parisien said that “This Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron will conclude his state visit by signing a strategic partnership enshrining 'unprecedented defense efforts' and opening 'new economic pages' between the two countries,” and it added that “Contracts will also be signed in the transportation sector,” while noting “potential prospects for Airbus” and “the commitment of the French state” in building “a tunnel on the Armenian north-south road axis.”
BFM similarly said the leaders were to sign “this Tuesday a strategic partnership dedicating 'unprecedented defense efforts' and opening 'new economic pages' between the two countries.”
CNews described the state visit as two-day, saying Macron was wrapping up “this Tuesday” and that the dinner atmosphere was “relaxed,” while also stating that the performance included Macron singing “La Bohème” accompanied by “Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on drums.”
In the framing from آخر خبر, the dinner followed the European Political Community summit and came after a meeting that brought together “about 40 European prime ministers and leaders,” placing the performance within a sequence of summit events.
The Arabic outlet اليوم السابع described the singing moment as happening at “the eighth European political summit in the Armenian capital, Yerevan,” and it said the video clip “dominated the scene,” while also noting that the summit focused on “regional security, energy stability, and the future of Armenia-EU relations.”
Across the coverage, the leaders’ brief performance was presented as a human interlude within a schedule that included high-level meetings and planned signings.
