Aurora ceremony held in Yerevan (LIVE)
YEREVAN. – The conclusive event of the 2018 Aurora Prize is underway at the National Opera and Ballet Theater named after Alexander Spendiaryan.
The winner of the 2018 Avrora Prize was announced earlier on Sunday. Lawyer and activist Kyaw Hla Aung was awarded for protection of the rights of Rohingya people in Myanmar, despite pressure, persecution and harassment.
The Aurora Prize is awarded by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative on behalf of all survivors of the Armenian Genocide and as a token of gratitude to their saviors. This year, 750 applications from 115 countries have been received.
During the event, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian delivered a keynote speech.
“It is noteworthy that the regular awarding ceremony takes place in Armenia, at a time when the Armenians, and especially the youth, have increased their aspiration for freedom, light and dream.
It is very valuable that people invest in humanism. Let’s not forget that we were treated like this 100 years ago in different parts of the world, and people provided assistance and shelter to Armenians who survived the Genocide. Today we are striving to return what we received more than 100 years ago.
Armenia leads a consistent struggle for the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh. Of course, it is not a mere coincidence that Armenia is ready and has taken steps to normalize relations with Azerbaijan, which remained unanswered. Of course, it is not by chance that major changes in Armenia took place in an atmosphere of peace,” the president said.