Monday, 1 June 2015
PM Hovik Abrahamyan-led delegation arrives in Prague on official visit
At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Bohuslav Sobotka, the Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan-led delegation has arrived in Prague on official visit on June 1, 2015..
The same day, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia visited Lidice Memorial in Prague to lay a wreath at the monument to those millions of children who died during World War II. Accompanied by Czech Minister of Culture Daniel Herman, Hovik Abrahamyan will attend the opening of an exhibition entitled “Interrupted childhood: children - victims of the Armenian Genocide.”
The Prime Minister and the members of the delegation familiarized themselves with the works representing the 43rd International Children’s Exhibition of Fine Arts on display in Lidice Art Gallery.
Hovik Abrahamyan delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Addressing those present, the Prime Minister said: “The history of mankind is full of tragic pages, and the commemoration of the victims is a mandatory ceremony for future generations; a duty that goes beyond national borders and become universal message and testament.
Lidice Memorial Complex just as Tsitsernakaberd and other such memorials are of different silence; a special silence, which leaves its echo in the hearts and souls of people. The monument dedicated to children, is part of the complex, causing excitement in the soul of everyone, regardless of nationality, religion or belief.
This year the Armenian people and numerous nations and states of the world are once again turning to the tragedy experienced in the early 20th century by the Armenian people. The perpetrators of the genocide against the Armenians, alas, remained unpunished and, unfortunately, not without consequences: the Nazis’ atrocities in Europe were brutal responses to the killings of more than two million Christians in the Ottoman Empire.
More than half a million Christian children became victims of crimes committed early last century. Tens of thousands were forcibly Turkishized and alienated from their families and peoples.
Today’s exhibition at the Memorial Complex of Lidice referred to as “Interrupted childhood: children - victims of the Armenian Genocide,” which is presented by the Armenian affiliate of the complex - the Museum-Institute of Armenian Genocide – is a series of stories of human tragedy represented in pictures that have a tremendous impact on all. Such stories are many, but they cannot be called exceptional and unprecedented, since the fate that befell the children are manifestations of human tragedy. It is symbolic that the opening of the exhibition coincides with the International Children’s Day as celebrated worldwide.
Dear friends!
Today, tomorrow and always in Lidice, Tsitsernakaberd, Auschwitz and elsewhere we unite our voices to protest again to remind humanity of the horrors of genocide and war, calling on future generations to spare no effort to prevent them and to protect humanity from the evil in the future.”
The Prime Minister made an entry in the book of honorable guests. Summing up the visit to Lidice, Hovik Abrahamyan said: "I would like to express my sincere feelings about today. It is symbolic that the visit to the memorial Lidice coincided with the International Children's Day. Today I laid a wreath at the monument to killed children, with our Czech friends I inaugurated the exhibition at the Memorial Complex of Lidice referred to as “Interrupted childhood: children - victims of the Armenian Genocide,” presented by the Armenian affiliate of the complex - the Museum-Institute of Armenian Genocide, I visited the 43rd International Children’s Art Exhibition in Lidice, where along with the works by children from other countries represented are great works by children from Armenia.
I am deeply impressed by them. This visit reinforced in me the sense of duty that we the adults must create a peaceful and prosperous future for our children and grandchildren.”
