Haykakan Zhamanak , Armenia
June 18 2009

Syrian leader’s failure to visit genocide memorial in Armenia

"Unprecedented"

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s visit stood out because of an
unprecedented fact. His agenda did not include a visit to
Tsitsernakaberd (Genocide Memorial) although it is one of the required
protocol points for official visits.

Yesterday morning the Armenian president’s office announced the Syrian
president’s agenda, giving details on his meetings and places of
visit, but Tsisternakaberd was not among them.

Let us remind you that a visit to the Genocide Memorial is required
during visit by all high level officials (beyond the level of foreign
minister) arriving in the Republic of Armenia. Actually, Al-Assad is
the only visiting head of state for whom the protocol procedures have
been breached.

Let us mention that a similar incident happened in 2007 during the
visit of Iranian President Ahmadinezhad, although a visit to the
Genocide Memorial was on his agenda. Since he left Armenia one day
earlier, he did not manage to visit the memorial.

[translated from Armenian]