On November 10, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Greece His Excellency Tigran Mkrtchyan participated in the official inauguration ceremony of the “Cyprus-Armenian Friendship Park”.
The initiative of the “Cyprus-Armenian Friendship Park” belongs to the state representative of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, Mr. Vartkes Mahdessian, and realized with the support of the Mayor of Strovolos, Mr. Andreas Papacharalambous.
Images from Embassy of Armenia in Greece Facebook page.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus Mrs. Annita Dimitriou, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Charalambos Petridis, the representative of Archbishop Chrysostomos II of the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, the Archbishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cyprus Mr. Khoren Dogramatzian, leaders and representatives of political parties, as well as representatives of the Armenian community of Cyprus.
The inauguration of the Park began with the National Anthems of the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Armenia, followed by prayers and speeches.
Mrs. Annita Dimitriou, speaker of the House of Representatives addressed a congratulatory message on behalf of the President of Cyprus Nikos Anastasiadis.
In his speech, Ambassador Mkrtchyan pointed out that it is a great honour for him to be present at such a historic event, which takes place in the first week of his new diplomatic mission.
His Excellency added that Cyprus is a natural ally and friend of Armenia.
He highly appreciated the role of the Armenian-Cypriot community in the Armenian Cypriot relations, expressing special gratitude to Mr. Vartkes Mahdessian that initiated the opening of the “Cyprus-Armenian Friendship Park”.
Concluding his speech, Ambassador Mkrtchyan read the Message of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia H.E. Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan.
In his message H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mirzoyan mentioned the following in particular:
“I am delighted to convey my warmest greetings to H.E. Mr. Nicos Anastasiades,
President of the Republic of Cyprus, H.E. Mrs. Annita Demetriou, Speaker of the House of the Representatives of Cyprus, and congratulate all the distinguished guests on the occasion of the opening of the Cyprus-Armenia Friendship Park.
“I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the Cypriot Authorities for their sustained commitment and support to the Cyprus Armenian community in preserving their identity and cultural heritage.
“It is symbolic that today’s event is taking place during the days when the people of Armenia and Artsakh bow their heads and pay tribute to the memory of the heroes of the 44-day war, launched on September 27, 2020, which was accompanied by large-scale violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, war crimes and other mass atrocities by Azerbaijan, with the direct support and involvement of Turkey.
“We highly appreciate the Cypriot Government’s principled position on the Artsakh issue and its unequivocal support to the Armenian people.
“Cyprus has constantly been unique in its targeted and clear-cut assessment of the situation, for which we are very grateful.”
Foreign Minister Mirzoyan noted in His speech: “When speaking about the Cyprus issue, Armenia’s support to Cyprus was and is always crystal clear and never have any ambiguity.
“I do hope that the negotiations will resume in the near future to witness the reunification of the island.
“We highly appreciate the overwhelming support of the Cyprus’ Government towards the issue of the Armenian Genocide in our quest for justice and recognition.
“The stance of the Cypriot Authorities and numerous statements issued by them on the occasions of the Armenian Genocide anniversaries time and again emphasise the integrity and the commitment of the people of Cyprus to the universal values.
“The famous aphorism of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus reads ‘All is flux’, which means that the world is constantly changing, and permanence is only an illusion. It is true. No doubt.
“But I strongly believe that by cherishing our joint history and values and transferring them to future generations, we can ensure that our interstate relations, as well as the unceasing solidarity and friendship between Armenian and Cypriot peoples will last forever.”
The event ended with the performance of “Surb Astvatsatsin” Choir and “Hamazkayin Sipan” Dance Group, followed by a reception.
[More photos at the link below]