Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Armenia’s National Day marked at Shanghai Expo - 2010
On Armenia’s Independence Day - September the 21st - the Armenian tricolor was raised in the distant Chinese city of Shanghai where the Day of Armenia was proclaimed amid the ongoing Shanghai Expo - 2010 international exhibition which has been standing for five months already.
The festive events kicked off early in the morning with the arrival of Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan-led government delegation in the exhibition center as welcomed by Director General of the Office of National Audit Li Tiaj Jin. The National Day of our country started after the Armenian tricolor had been lifted up to the sounds of Armenia’s anthem. Following the talks of Tigran Sargsyan and Li Tiaj Jin in the hall of receptions, the head of government made a record in the visitors’ book appreciating the Chinese side’s warm welcome and good organization of the exhibition.
On behalf of the Government of China and the organizing committee of Shanghai Expo – 2010, Li Tiaj Jin congratulated those present on the Day of Independence and thanked the Armenian side for excellent performance at the exhibition. “Since 1851 when London hosted the first international industrial exhibition, the Exposition has witnessed successive stages of development opening up new horizons before mankind to provide an important platform where different peoples could present their achievements for universal well-being, friendship and progress,” he said in his address and expressed hope that that Shanghai Expo 2010 will promote economic dialogue worldwide.
According to Li Tiaj Jin, situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Armenia is pushing ahead toward a bright future as evidenced by the stand of our country. “People coming from times long past and full of wisdom live in Armenia, with the original Armenian culture prospering in that country which has given birth to numerous celebrities making an outstanding contribution to the global culture. An exciting and original project – the City of the World – has been brought to Shanghai Expo this time,” Li Tiaj Jin said in his statement. According to him, this project is an original approach to establishing a dialog between people, a noteworthy vision of happy urban life which meets the motto of the exposition: “Safe city, secure life.” The virtual representation of the project was said to be among the best ones available in the exhibition.
Speaking about the centuries-old Armenian-Chinese linkages, the speaker said to be pleased with the good dynamics of economic, cultural and other exchanges. Li Tiaj Jin expressed hope that Armenia’s participation and the Prime Minister’s visit will go a long way toward reinforcing the bridge between the Armenian and Chinese peoples to open up a new chapter in the record of bilateral relations.
Thanking the Chinese authorities for a warm welcome and the opportunity to introduce Armenia’s vision of the future world to a mullions-strong audience, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said it is a twofold pleasure for him to deliver a statement on the day we mark the19th anniversary of Armenia’s independence and the National Day of the Republic of Armenia at Shanghai Expo – 2010.
The motto of the exposition made the Armenian party to rethink the way gone by our people: “Day after day our country wakes up and eyes the biblical Mount Ararat which first of all symbolizes our people’s revival. Today - in the wake of the global crisis - it seems to be obvious that the modern world can no longer be the way it used to be before the crisis: it has to change. Many people around the world are trying to formulate the new orientation of the world. We deeply believe that the new world should be built through joint efforts. This is why we are putting forth the idea of the new town which in addition to our vision should incorporate a concept of the dialog of civilizations. At the same time, we enable all humans and peoples to take a share in the building of the new town,” the Prime Minister said.
According to Tigran Sargsyan, Shanghai Expo - 2010 provides a nice opportunity for teamwork, and dialog of civilizations. The Prime Minister invites everybody to take part in the construction of the new town in the Ararat Valley. He is hopeful that the construction of this town will open a new chapter not only in the history of the Armenian people, but also in that of other civilizations.
Following the concert featuring Armenian artists, the delegation went to see the stands of China and Armenia with the latter having aroused great interest among visitors. Two million out of a total of 53 million visitors have called at the Armenian stand which covers an area of nearly five hundred square meters and is visited by about twenty thousand people daily. The stand itself and its virtual version have won the approval of the organizing committee.
For exposition attendance and stay in their town, Tigran Sargsyan was thanked by Mayor of Shanghai Han Zheng As he said, this testifies to the importance Armenia attaches to the development of Armenia-China relations and Shanghai Expo – 2010.
Reiterating his appreciation of the local authorities’ warm welcome and continued assistance, Tigran Sargsyan concluded that Armenia has tried to demonstrate that the proposed town of the future may provide an excellent platform for a civilized dialog. Hailing Shanghai’s town-planning experience, the Prime Minister invited the Mayor of Shanghai to visit Armenia in order to get acquainted with Armenia’s architectural and building traditions, as well as for exchange of know-how.
