Thursday, 12 March 2015
Hovik Abrahamyan meets Armenian community representatives in Kuwait
On official visit to the State of Kuwait, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan met with representatives of the local Armenian community. Welcoming our compatriots, the Prime Minister noted that the Armenian community in Kuwait is one of our communities talked about with pride at home.
According to Hovik Abrahamyan, with only a 60-year history, the Armenian community of Kuwait due to its vigorous efforts, initiative and exemplary behavior has been respected by the authorities of the country and the people, being the pledge for the deepening of friendly relations between Armenia and Kuwait.
The Prime Minister stressed that during the high-level meetings he was able to see the warm and respectful attitude of the local authorities toward the Armenian community. The Head of Government noted the important role of the Church of St. Vardan and the Armenian national school in Kuwait in the preservation of Armenian identity, coordination and consolidation of the community.
“Today more than ever, the importance of conservation of identity, native language, Armenian cultural values and their generations of our compatriots living outside the motherland, as well as the strengthening and development of relations with Armenia,” the Prime Minister said.
Noting that this April 24 we will be marking 100 years of the Armenian Genocide, the Head of Government said: “As a genocidal nation and an independent State, we severely condemn the evil called genocide and urge the world to unify efforts in order to prevent genocides from recurring.”
The Prime Minister added that the Armenian people with boundless gratitude always will remember the Arab people to help the Armenians, survivors of the Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.
According to the Head of Government, the friendly, welcoming and tolerant Arab countries became those harbors, where shards of the Armenians found salvation and shelter, strengthened, stood up on their feet, integrated and actively participated in the political, social, socio-economic and cultural life of their countries, while preserving the national identity and the centuries-old cultural and historical values.
“The Ottoman Turks did not reach their ultimate goal. Moreover, the Armenians did not surrender, were reborn, and today, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, are presented to the world with a free and independent Republic of Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, united and cohesive Diaspora, a powerful army-winner,” the Prime Minister emphasized. According to Hovik Abrahamyan, Armenia is not safe from the global and regional challenges. Due to developments in the Middle East, some 12 thousand Armenians have taken refuge in Armenia.
“The Republic of Armenia has been paying special attention to our sisters and brothers who are welcome in Homeland. Our political will and position is to be beside each Syrian Armenian, be attentive to a variety of problems, respond quickly and give them the necessary decision,” Hovik Abrahamyan said, expressing his appreciation to all those entities, organizations and individuals, which together with the Armenian authorities took up the humane assistance for Syrian Armenians.
In this regard, the Prime Minister stressed the role of the Government of Kuwait, which was one of the first to extend a hand of assistance to thousands of Syrian Armenians, including those wgo moved to Armenia. According to the Head of Government, it is not by chance that on August 18, 2014 the State of Kuwait was recognized as an international humanitarian center by the UN, and that the Emir of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah was awarded the title of humanitarian leader for humanitarian activities.
“Only through concerted and focused action and unity we can settle any of the issues before us, overcome any obstacle, achieve a peaceful and secure existence of the Armenian people, to improve and strengthen the Homeland,” Hovik Abrahamyan said, addressing the Kuwaiti-Armenians.
Summing up the outcome of his official visit to Kuwait, Hovik Abrahamyan noted that important agreements had been achieved with the Kuwaiti authorities that would contribute to the deepening of the Armenian-Kuwaiti ties, promote and expand economic relations, help implement joint programs.
The Kuwaiti Armenians welcomed the Prime Minister’s official visit to Kuwait, thanked the Head of Government for the meeting and noted that they were full of pride for the high-level abd warm welcome extended to the Prime Minister of Armenia by the authorities of Kuwait.
The Kuwaiti-Armenians expressed the belief that the Prime Minister’s visit will give a new charge development of relations between the two countries in various fields.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister wanted to learn of the activities of the Armenian community in Kuwait, the projects aimed at preserving the Armenian identity, answered the questions of concern to our fellow compatriots, which bore on the program priorities of the Government, the situation at home, on the preparations for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, the development prospects of Armenian-Kuwaiti relations and other topics.
