April 24 does not mark an end to the commemoration events dedicated to the Armenian Genocide, says Vigen Sargsyan, the chief of the Presidential Staff and the coordinator of the commission arranging the centenary events.
The evidence, according to him, is the events that have been organized across the world since April 24.
“The events – with political, cultural and sporting agenda – will continue until the end of this year,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
The official added that the commission’s website, Armeniangenocide100.org, continues operating after the April 24 Remembrance Day to inform people of events taking place in different parts of the world.
Sargsyan said he finds that the events fully met the task of raising the world’s awareness of the issue and repeating the demand for recognition.
“The events held did, in our estimation, serve the main purposes we had set: raising international awareness of the Armenian Genocide and developing and mobilizing public opinion over the fight against, and condemnation of, genocides as a crime against humanity,” he added.
The official further addressed the comments made at the anti-genocide forum in Yerevan, highlighting particularly a former ICC (International Criminal Court) prosecutor’s call for making Armenia a leader in the world campaign against crimes of genocide.
Sargsyan said he highly appreciates the national unity he saw at the ceremonies in April.
“The peak, in that respect, was the canonization ceremony at the Mother See of St Echmiadzin. It was an important manifestation of national unity. The ringing of bells of not only the Armenian churches but also the sister churches worldwide really signaled the pan-Christian respect for the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims,” he noted.
As another remarkable event reaffirming the nation’s unity and attracting attention to the problem, Sargsyan cited the System of a Down’s open-air concert in central Yerevan.
“Despite the weather conditions, the spirit and unanimity and the youth’s unprecedented participation really demonstrated that the idea and the concert that day was the right decision, so I once again wish to extend my gratitude to the guys for their dedicated and consistent approach,” he added.
Sargsyan said he sees that April 24 really helped attract the world’s attention to Yerevan. “We managed to keep Yerevan on the world media spotlight, with leading international TV channels airing the April 24 event live,” he noted.
At the end, the chief of the Presidential Staff said he is thankful to everybody for dedication and attention to the pan-national issue. “I would like to extend my admiration and gratitude to all the segments of the society, every citizen, the non-governmental organizations, the media and the political parties for the unity and the approach they demonstrated to our events,” he said.
The official added that President Serzh Sargsyan will on Thursday join the Divine Liturgy in Washington Cathedral to pay respect to the victims. He added that commemoration events will continue across the US and many other cities and towns of the world throughout the year.