Six months after French Armenian politician Patrick Devedjian’s death, the Hauts-de-Seine department, of which he was president, paid him a strong tribute on Friday. Many political figures were in attendance to pay tribute to Devedjian’s memory during this long day of remembrance, Le Figaro reports.

Many of them met at 10:30 am in the cathedral of Nanterre. Attending the mass were former President Nicolas Sarkozy, former Prime Ministers François Fillon and Jean-Pierre Raffarin and others.

Patrick Devedjian’s wife and two of the four sons spoke during the mass, celebrated according to the Armenian rite in the presence of an Armenian choir, with a reading of the same gospel as that which had been chosen for Jacques Chirac (gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew).

The main event was held at Seine Musicale, which now bears his name. The place was one of the great projects of Patrick Devedjian. The site was built under a partnership contract signed in July 2013 between the General Council and the Tempo Île Seguin group. President Devedjian laid the foundation stone there on July 5, 2014.

The event was attended by Georges Siffredi, successor of Patrick Devedjian at the head of the department, many elected officials from Ile-de-France and Hauts-de-Seine. Thee mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo was forced to cancel her participation because of the news of stabbing attacks in the 11th arrondissement.

The chairman of the Hauts-de-Seine departmental council and former minister Patrick Devedjian died from the consequences of the coronavirus on March 29.