Cyprus’ Defence Minister meets with President of Armenia on Armenian Genocide remembrance day

Cyprus’ Minister of Defence Charalambos Petrides met Saturday with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian in Yerevan, in the context of his official visit to Armenia.

According to a press release by the Armenian Presidency, the Minister of Defence of Cyprus said he was honoured to be in Armenia to pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

“We have been to the Genocide Memorial, and we are impressed. We share the pain of the friendly Armenian people and express our support,” said Minister Petrides.

President Sarkissian thanked Minister Petrides and the members of the delegation for visiting Armenia on the most important day for the Armenian people and “for being by the side of our people”.

“For our people, this is a day of remembrance of a great tragedy, the Armenian Genocide. You are the people who understand us best. We must not only support each other but also learn from the lessons of the past and deepen our cooperation,” he said.

The President welcomed the steps taken to develop cooperation between the Defense Ministries of Armenia and Cyprus, emphasizing that in order to face the challenges, one must be ready for daily hard work.

President Sarkissian also referred to the war against Artsakh unleashed by Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey and its consequences. Speaking about humanitarian issues, he stressed that months after the war, Azerbaijan continues to detain Armenian prisoners of war and civilians, violating all norms of international law.

During the meeting, the President of Armenia and the Minister of Defence of Cyprus also exchanged views on the regional security issues.