Tο the Armenian National Committee of Greece
Athens, April 22 2021
Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends
The Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day has always been a special anniversary for the peoples of Greece and Armenia, who are bound by ties that go back centuries, with a friendship forged under adverse conditions.
One hundred and six years after the crime committed in 1915, humanity does not forget the decimation of a people. It was an enormous crime, carried out systematically, which was in fact organized while the gaze of the entire planet was fixed on at the muddy trenches of World War I.
Today, as we do every year on April 24, we pay tribute to the memory of the innocent victims, declaring our devotion to the respect for human life and dignity. Only peaceful coexistence drives people forward, turning diversity into shared wealth.
Over the course of time, Greece and the Caucasus have travelled together in the realms of mythology and history, culture and traditions. This is why our country stood by the side of the Armenian people in their latest tribulation; Greece responded immediately to the request for humanitarian assistance. Today, it supports the establishment of security in the region, based on international law, aspiring to a solution that will respect the rights of the local population, far removed from a new, unfair bloodshed.
Greece does not forget that in the early years of the 20th century Greeks and Armenians experienced harrowing moments together, through the drama of the residents of Pontus and Asia Minor. This is why, even when it was going through hardship, Greece was among the first countries to provide succor to persecuted Armenians and recognized the genocide of the Armenian people.
This common path that we have charted over the centuries is still followed by our two communities, in both countries. They serve as two stout bridges between them that creatively participate in the economic and social life of the two countries, renewing our longstanding friendship.
Let me reiterate the significance of preserving historical memory, since its loss opens the trapdoors for such events to happen again, events that tainted human history. Therefore, we need to be constantly vigilant. Our words need to go hand in hand with our deeds, thwarting discrimination, hatred and violence. Now that 106 years have passed, we remember, we stay vigilant and we work together.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis
