President of Armenia: Having Organized and Strong Diaspora is Among our Strategic Goals
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who is currently in Greece on an official visit, met with representatives of Armenian community in Greece on the evening of March 14. As was informed from the Department of Public Relations and Mass Media of Republic of Armenia President’s office, at the beginning of the meeting the President thanked for the opportunity to again interact in a cordial and free atmosphere, informed the present about the saturated agenda of his visit to Greece, the results of the negotiations with President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos, and also answered the questions of the present.
Serzh Sargsyan documented with satisfaction that centuries-old friendly relations between Armenia and Greece have not only been preserved but have entered the phase of official and political relations, a process in which, to the President’s conviction, the Armenian community in Greece has a vital role. “I live moments of undisguised pride when our Greek partners refer to the contribution of the Armenian community to the development of the Hellenic state, when the diligence and devotion of Armenians, and the organized manner of the community are touched upon with special warmth”, the President said.
Apart from Armenian-Greek relations, the President also touched upon the domestic and foreign policies of our country, marking its 25th anniversary of independence this year, as well as the development pace of Armenia, trend and priority directions, issues of key importance facing Armenia and the Diaspora, current regional and international challenges, Armenia-Diaspora coordinated works in the year of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and the events that took place in the framework of the centennial. “Greece is one the first country that not only recognized the Armenian Genocide (1996) and officially declared April 24 as the memorial day of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, but also legally criminalized the denial of the Genocide of the Pontian Greeks and the Armenian Genocide.
We will never forget the priceless support of Greece and the Greek people to Armenians during the Genocide and the years following it”, the President said, once again emphasizing that Greece and its top officials support Armenia’s initiatives in relation with the Genocide commemoration. Serzh Sargsyan also thanked the Commission on Coordination of the Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, its supporters, all structures and individuals for organizing the events on such a high level, stating that the 100th anniversary is a threshold from where our struggle will take a new momentum.
“We really have two lasting values: Armenia and the Armenian people. Everything else derives from these two values. Therefore, having an organized and strong Diaspora is among our strategic goals”, President Sargsyan said, adding that the Armenia and the Diaspora must work together to preserve the Armenian identity.
The President also talked about the approaching 25th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia, indicating the problems and achievements of our country. “Despite difficulties, we have recorded many achievements during these 25 years. We have established democratic institutions, civil society, and key prerequisites for economic development. Our country became a full member of the international community during these years, making its modest contribution to the preservation of international peace and stability. Thank to balanced, transparent and consistent foreign policy, we managed to avoid serious geopolitical turbulences, setting mutually beneficial cooperation with different forces present in our region”, Serzh Sargsyan said.
The President of Armenia also touched upon the Constitutional changes, expressing conviction that those changes will ensure faster development of our Motherland.
