VIGEN SARGSYAN: “I HOPE “AURORA” WILL BECOME ONE OF MOST PRESTIGIOUS GLOBAL AWARDS”
Vigen Sargsyan
Photo: Press service of the Armenian President
Interviews | March 11, 2015 14:29
EXCLUSIVE
Mediamax’s interview with Secretary of the State Commission on the
coordination of events dedicated to the Armenian Genocide Centennial,
Chief of Staff of the Armenian President Vigen Sargsyan.
– Ruben Vardanyan, Noubar Afeyan and Vartan Gregorian announced the
launch of 100 LIVES initiative in New York on March 10. What is your
attitude to it?
– First of all, I would like to sincerely congratulate the initiators
of the program on its successful launch.
Ruben Vardanyan informed President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and
a number of members of the State Commission about the 100 LIVES
initiative back in 2014. The head of state and the members of the
commission welcomed it.
In my opinion, it’s a large-scale program, which links the past,
present and future in an interesting way and which is an important
component of the efforts taken by global Armenians this year. We wish
the program to attain the set goals, and the Armenian authorities
stand ready to render all relevant support for it.
-“Aurora” Prize for Awakening Humanity has been established within
the program, and it will be co-chaired by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel
and actor George Clooney. How do you assess the involvement of such
figures in the program, which is rooted in the remembrance of the
Armenian Genocide Centennial?
– The involvement of celebrities and recognized experts in the
sphere of human rights and prevention of crimes against humanity
is another proof that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide –
the first genocide in the 20th century – is an international issue
and more and more people start pondering over how our world would be
had the extermination of Armenians been duly condemned. It has been
long obvious that all attempts of Turkey to “localize” the Armenian
Genocide topic are doomed to failure, and over the years this topic
does not lose it relevance, but on the contrary, draws the attention
of as many people as possible.
The co-chairs and members of the jury of “Aurora” prize will award
those people and organizations who commit efforts to save human lives,
and the fact the ceremony will be annually held in Yerevan on April
24 is highly symbolic. I hope that over the years “Aurora” will become
one of the most prestigious humanitarian prizes in the world.
Ara Tadevosyan talked to Vigen Sargsyan