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A formal reception marking the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s declaration of independence was organised in Moscow at the initiative of the Armenian Embassy.
More than 350 guests attended, including Russian Deputy Foreign Ministers Andrei Rudenko and Sergei Ryabkov, Head of the Russian Presidential Administration’s Foreign Policy Directorate Igor Neverov, and other senior officials.
In his address, Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia, Gurgen Arsenyan, congratulated those present on the occasion. He said the 35th anniversary of independence called both for looking back with pride on the country’s journey and for thinking about the future.
“The state is more than what we have inherited from previous generations. It is also daily work, responsibility, honesty, knowledge, professional dedication and civic awareness,” the ambassador said.
He added that Armenia’s future was shaped both at moments of major historical significance and through every piece of knowledge acquired, every undertaking created, every value preserved and every act of civic responsibility.
Discussing Armenia–Russia relations, Arsenyan stressed their multifaceted nature, encompassing politics, security, the economy, energy and culture. He said the ties between the two societies continued to underpin bilateral relations.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko also offered congratulations on the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. He discussed the development of bilateral relations in all areas of mutual interest, cooperation within shared integration groupings and Russia’s role in the South Caucasus.
“Russia, both in the past and today, supports the genuine and full preservation of Armenia’s sovereignty. We regard Yerevan as our natural strategic ally in the South Caucasus. Moscow remains Armenia’s main trading and investment partner, as well as the guarantor of its economic, energy and food security. We take all our obligations seriously,” Rudenko said.
The reception was also attended by heads of more than 50 diplomatic missions accredited to Russia, military attachés, diplomats, public figures and numerous representatives of science and education, culture, healthcare and business.
The event featured musical performances and concluded with traditional refreshments.