ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENARY PINS WORN IN AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT

13:11, 25 Mar 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The Armenian Genocide Centenary Commemorative “Forget Me Not” Pin was
ever-present in the Australian Parliament’s House of Representatives
during Question Time on Tuesday, as a result of meetings between the
Republic of Armenia’s Diaspora Minister, Hranush Hakobyan and several
Australian parliamentarians.

The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) joined
Hakobyan – who is visiting Australia as the Special Envoy of the
President of the Republic of Armenia – for high-level meetings in
Canberra on Tuesday, 24 March 2015.

Among the meetings was one with the Treasurer of the Commonwealth
of Australia, the Hon. Joe Hockey MP, who was then among a group of
MPs who wore the “Forget Me Not” Armenian Genocide Centenary pin in
Parliament for Question Time – the pins were a gift from Mrs.

Hakobyan. Minister Hakobyan was acknowledged by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives during Question Time.

Minister Hakobyan, who was sent to Australia by the President of
Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan to discuss Armenia-Australia relations and
the upcoming Centenary of the Armenian Genocide, also met with the
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Hon. Steve
Ciobo MP, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, the Hon. David Feeney MP, Ms.

Michelle Rowland MP and Mr. John Alexander MP.

At the conclusion of Minister Hakobyan’s working visit to Canberra,
ANC Australia’s Executive Director, Vache Kahramanian, remarked:
“Minister Hakobyan’s visit to Canberra was highly productive and
fruitful. Armenia-Australia relations are on a solid footing and we
look forward to further enhancing the bi-lateral relations between
both countries.”

Kahramanian added: “It was a moving tribute to the victims of the
Armenian Genocide by the Treasurer of Australia when he, along with
others, proudly wore the Forget Me Not pin in memory of the 1.5
million victims of this crime against humanity perpetrated by the
Ottoman Turkish Empire, which Turkey continues to deny.”

Minister Hakobyan’s visit to Canberra comes after she brought her
participation to the Armenian Festival, which was held on March 22
in Sydney’s Tumbalong Park, where over 10,000 people took part in a
major event dedicated to the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide.