The formal reception dedicated to the 33rd Anniversary of the formation of the Armed Forces of Armenia in Athens

05 February, 2025

A Formal Reception Dedicated to the 33rd Anniversary of the Formation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia Was Held in Athens

On February 4, a formal event dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of the formation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia was held at the “Officers’ Club” of the Hellenic Army. The event was attended by the Minister of National Defense of the Hellenic Republic Nikolaos Dendias, senior officers from the Greek Ministry of Defense and General Staff, high-ranking officials from other government bodies, Members of the Parliament, over twenty ambassadors and diplomats accredited in Greece, military attachés, representatives of the Armenian church community in Greece, as well as public figures and members of the Greek-Armenian community.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia in Greece Tigran Mkrtchyan and Armenian Defense Attaché Lieutenant Colonel Armen Mirzabekyan addressed the participants with welcoming speeches. Ambassador Mkrtchyan congratulated on the 33rd anniversary of the Armenian Armed Forces, emphasizing that the Armenian Army is one of the fundamental pillars of the Republic’s sovereignty and independence, stating that the stronger and more self-sufficient the army is, the stronger and more self-reliant the state will be. He added that the programs for reform and modernization of the armed forces are aimed at enhancing Armenia’s defense capabilities.

Referring to the Armenian-Greek friendship, the Ambassador noted the strong ties established between the Ministries of Defense and General Staffs of Armenia and Greece, as well as the expanding cooperation in recent years — from regular high-level meetings to joint military exercises and specialized training programs. In this context, special attention was given to the Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral cooperation. He also emphasized the long-standing tradition of Armenian military personnel receiving training in Greek military academies. The Ambassador extended special thanks to the General Staff and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece for responding to Armenia's request to address flood damage in the northern and northeastern regions by providing three bridges.

Under the day's motto, the Ambassador paid tribute to the memory of the fallen soldiers and volunteers who embarked on the path of immortality. In that context, he recalled Major Mkrtich Hakobyan, a graduate of the Hellenic Military Academy “Evelpidon,” who died during the Azerbaijani aggression in 2020. He also mentioned the loss suffered by the family of Armen Saghoyan, who died in 1994, appreciating the presence of his relatives at the event.

Summing up his speech, the Ambassador said:

“In conclusion, I would like to mention that today we have invited the ‘Nostalgia’ brass ensemble, led by Greek-Armenian composer Miran Tsalikian, to perform a series of Armenian compositions. The first piece will be ‘Yeraz Im Yerkir’ (‘Dream, My Homeland’), composed in the 1970s by the great Armenian ethnographer Hayrik Muradyan — a tribute to his dream homeland by a survivor of the Armenian Genocide living in Soviet Armenia. At the time, he could not imagine that ‘Dreamland Armenia’ would become an independent republic in 1991, and that his song would become the anthem of the Armenian Armed Forces. In order for our homeland to never again become just a ‘dreamland,’ it is our duty to do everything necessary to protect the independence of the Republic of Armenia. And the first to fulfill this sacred mission is the Armed Forces of Armenia.”

Lieutenant Colonel Armen Mirzabekyan, the Armenian Defense Attaché, also gave a speech, noting the development of military education and the expansion of new areas of military cooperation — all in alignment with the directives set by Armenia’s National Security Council. He emphasized that all these reforms share a common goal: to establish a powerful army capable of defending and maintaining Armenia's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Attaché highlighted the role of international partner countries in this process of comprehensive reform, singling out Greece as a primary actor. Concluding his remarks, he characterized cooperation with Greece as “a partnership without borders — one where the word ‘No’ is nearly absent.”

The event continued with a performance by the “Nostalgia” ensemble, followed by a reception.

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