EVENTS DEDICATED TO 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TAKE PLACE IN ATHENS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006

ATHENS, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A number of events
dedicated to the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took
place at the last week-end in Athens, on the innitiative of the
Athens Governor’s Offoce, Mayor’s Office, the RA Embassy to Greece
and the Armenian community. A solemn ceremony of requim took place
on April 15 in the square of the district of Nea Zmirni of Athens
where the memory monument to the Armenian Genocide victims is
erected. Primates of two dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
the Armenian Catholic and Protestant churches prayed at the same
time. Vahram Kazhoyan, the RA Ambassador to Greece, representatives
of the Athens Governor’s Office and Mayor’s Office, other officials
made speeches. Then wreaths were laid to the memory monument by the RA
Embassy, the Athens Governor’s Office, the Nea Zmirni Mayor’s Office,
RA military students studying in Greece and the Armenian community. A
march of complaint towards the Embassy of Turkey to Greece took place
after the end of the event. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA
Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department, on April 16,
on the occasion of the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
a solemn sitting took place at the “Atikon” hall of Athens, on the
initiative of the Athens Governor’s Office, Armenian Rights Council
of the Armenian Liberal Democratic Party and the Hay Dat Committee
of the ARF Dashnaktsutiun. Ioannis Tragakis, the Parliament Deputy
Speaker of Greece, Teodoros Kasimis, the Deputy Foreign Minister of
Greece, representatives of political parties of Greece made speehes
at the event. Vasos Lisaridis, the former Speaker of the Parliament
of Cyprus made a speech. RA Ambassador Vahram Kazhoyan’s speech was
also read. Deputies of the Parliament of Greece, representatives of
political parties, local self-government, primates of two dioceses of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic and Protestant
churches, representatives of Armenian political parties and the
community, students from Armenia studying in Greece and military
academy students participated in the sitting. The event was finished
with a march towards the Unknown Soldier’s Grave in the Sintagma
central square of Athens where wreaths were laid by the RA Embassy,
the Greek Government, Parliament, political parties, the Embassy of
Cyprus to Greece and the Armenian community of Greece.