The solemn event in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Greece was held in the building of the Journalists Union of Athens Daily Newspapers

12 October, 2022

The solemn event in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Greece was held in the building of the Journalists Union of Athens Daily Newspapers on October 12 2022, under the auspices of the Greek-Armenian Friendship Association and the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia.

Members, representatives and officials of the Greek government and Parliament, the Greek-Armenian friendship union, the Association of Editors of Athens Daily Newspapers, the Armenian clergy, the Armenian community organizations, in addition to many intellectuals, were present in the widely attended event.

The coordinator of the event, Mr. Kostas Pliakos, a well-known journalist, read the greeting message of the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which was followed by a screening of a video about Armenian-Greek diplomatic relations. Kostas Pliakos, highlighting the role of diplomacy -especially in the context of current global security challenges- emphasized the capacity and availability of Greece and the European Union in establishing peace in the Caucasus region.

The main speakers of the event were the first Ambassador of Greece to Armenia H.E. Mr. Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos and the Ambassador of Armenia to Greece H.E. Mr. Tigran Mkrtchyan. In his speech, the first Ambassador of Greece to Armenia, H.E. Mr. Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos presented the developments, events and the processes of establishing bilateral relations since the independence of Armenia from the Soviet Union. He discussed the difficult years of the 90s; the challenges, threats, as well as opportunities Armenia was faced with at the time.

The Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the Hellenic Republic, Mrs. Hasmik Dashtoyan read the speech of H.E. Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Greece Mr. Tigran Mkrtchyan. In his speech, the Ambassador referred to the achievements recorded in Armenian-Greek relations in the past three decades. He discussed political, economic, cultural and educational contacts. He referred to the contribution of the Armenian community in Greece to the relations among the two friendly countries, and also spoke about the small, but active, Greek community in Armenia. The Ambassador concluded his speech by saying that the Armenian-Greek relations have progressed so much in recent years that "there are all preconditions for raising the level of these relations further, giving them a strategic character".

Many addressed the gathering. In his speech, Antonios Pavlidis (President of the Greek-Armenian Friendship Union and representative of the ruling New Democracy Party) emphasized on the cooperation of the two friendly countries and the role of Greek-Armenian friendship in strengthening bilateral ties. He also touched upon Azerbaijan's recent aggression against Armenia and the importance of a proper response by the international community. Dimitris Markopoulos (Chairman of the Greece-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group) referred to the history of Armenian-Greek relations from the depths of time. In his speech, he also strongly condemned the aggression against Armenia, which is carried out both in informational and other hybrid ways. Ioannis Amanatidis (the main opposition Syriza-Progressive Alliance Party Member of Parliament) spoke about inter-parliamentary diplomacy, cooperation of inter-parliamentary groups, and presented the recorded results. Dimitris Mantzos, (spokesperson of the PASOK-Movement of Change party) on behalf of the leader of the party, Mr. Nikos Androulakis addressed the organizers and attendees of the event, emphasizing that Armenian-Greek relations were and remain stable and friendly.

All speakers strongly condemned the Azerbaijani aggression against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Armenian State and the Armenian people. They called on the international community, especially the EU, to adopt a clear position and take practical steps to condemn Azerbaijani aggression. At the same time, the speakers emphasized the importance of further expanding and deepening the relations between Armenia and Greece, as well as cooperation amongst the two friendly countries in various fields, emphasizing on the political, military, cultural, educational and economic spheres.

The event was followed by a reception.

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