ARGENTINA TO OPEN EMBASSY IN YEREVAN

ARKA
March 19, 2009

YEREVAN, March 19. /ARKA/. President of Argentina Cristina Elisabet
Fernández de Kirchner signed a decree on the opening of an Embassy
of Argentina in Armenia.

The press service of the RA Foreign Office reports that the President
signed the decree in the presence of Foreign Minister of Argentina
Jorge Taiana and RA Ambassador to that country Vladimir Karmirshalyan.

Attending the ceremony were the ruling bishop of the diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church in Argentina, Archbishop Gasak Muradyan, the
leaders of the Armenian community in Buenos Aires, well-known Armenian
businessmen Eduardo Eurnekian and Murad Eurnekian, the former Minister
of Justice Levon Karlos Arslanyan, Armenian media representatives.

President Fernández de Kirchner said that the protocol does not
provide for ceremonial signing of presidential decrees in other
persons’ presence, but exceptions are possible when the matter concerns
a friendly nation.

The President of Argentina made a high appraisal of the
Armenian-Argentine relations. The decision to open the first Argentine
Embassy in the South Caucasus is evidence of Argentina’s wish to
develop its relations with Armenia, Fernández de Kirchner said.

Ambassador Karmirshalyan welcomed the decision to open an Argentine
Embassy in Yerevan. He stressed that the embassy will allow both the
sides to make optimal use of their potential for political, economic
=0 D and cultural cooperation.

The representatives of the Armenian community thanked the Argentine
Government and people for their fraternal attitude to Armenians,
for the law condemning the Armenian Genocide of 1915 adopted by the
Congress of Argentina and signed by the President. They pointed out
that the Argentine Embassy in Yerevan will be their home in their
historical motherland.

Ambassador Karmirshalyan conveyed to President Fernández de Kirchner
the Armenian President Serge Sargsyan’s invitation to pay an official
visit to Armenia. The invitation was accepted. The terms of the visit
will be specified through diplomatic channels.