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Armenia’s High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan issued a message on the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide commemorated on Friday, April 24. The message reads:

“Dear compatriots, Armenians around the world,

Today we commemorate the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide. 105 years have passed since the first horrific genocide of the 20th century. The loss of a million and a half human lives, a homeland, a cultural heritage, became a bloody page of tragic destinies in our collective history. That page will forever remain in our memory and our demand for justice, keeping us vigilant and determined in the face of all challenges.

Because of the Genocide, we inadvertently became a people of all nations, whose core is Armenia. But by re-establishing Armenian statehood and liberating Artsakh, our identity is no longer that of a victim, but a state-centered person, who proudly bears their origin, history and ancestors. The ancestors who built a state on the ashes and ruins of a small piece of our historical homeland, who defeated the deserts of Deir ez-Zor in the struggle for life, and who found themselves across oceans taking their homeland in their hearts, never forgetting their right to historical justice and revenge.

This day is of special significance for our compatriots in the Diaspora, who, living far from their homeland, feel the pain of the yet unhealed wounds of the Genocide more severely. It is the pain of loss and impunity, injustice and denial, the driving force of the institutions, organizations and individuals in the Diaspora who are at the forefront of the fight for recognition, for international condemnation and genocide prevention.

Due to their great efforts and unwavering commitment, one of the most important issues on the foreign policy agenda of the Republic of Armenia has made great progress. On this difficult path, as in any other issue of pan-Armenian significance, we have been united by will and work.

I would like to express my gratitude to all the Diaspora devotees of the past and present involved in the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, and the Armenian Cause. Kneeling before the immortal memory of the innocent victims, we reaffirm that the Armenian nation, united around our statehood, is invincible.

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Armenian government decided to hold the events dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in a different format. For decades, each of us has been motivated and obliged to be physically present in the homeland, to lay flowers and offer prayers at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial, to organize thousands of peaceful marches and gatherings in the Diaspora.

This time our pilgrimage to Tsitsernakaberd will be from a distance. Our compatriots from the Diaspora, who send their name to 0037433191500 starting at 8am Armenian time today, will find their names reflected on the pillars of the memorial starting at 10pm until dawn. Thus, in our minds and in our hearts, we will once again gather in the homeland, commemorating our sanctified martyrs, and fueling the struggle for justice with a new determination.”