YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. A group of Armenian intellectuals visited today the Embassy of Syria in Yerevan to meet with the Ambassador and thank for the recent adoption of the resolution on recognizing the Armenian Genocide by the Syrian Parliament.

Among them were Hero of Artsakh Arkadi Ter-Tadevosyan, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies Ruben Safrastyan and others.

Syrian Ambassador to Armenia Mohammed Haj Ibrahim said it’s a great honor for him to represent Syria in Armenia at this historic moment.

“After the recognition of the Armenian Genocide I had multiple meetings. All were asking one question: why now? My answer has always been that when Syria opened its doors and accepted the Armenian Genocide survivors, that was already a recognition of what had happened. And the decision of the Syrian Parliament was a political acknowledgement”, the Ambassador said, adding that he is proud of the fact that Syrian-Armenians are one the cornerstones of Syria.

He said the visit of Armenian scholars to the Embassy is an honor for them. “I feel here like I feel with my family in Syria. The Armenian government, parties and people have a friendly attitude to Syria. The evidence of this is the Armenian humanitarian mission’s support which is conducting a major work in Syria. Armenians always stand together with their friends, and our friendly relations have always been on firm basis. Wherever Armenians go, they will always have a unique and special place. Whatever they do, they will do that in a unique manner”, the Syrian Ambassador said and recalled ethnic Armenian MP of the Syrian Parliament Nora Arisian who has made great efforts and a contribution to the adoption of the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution.

Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies Ruben Safrastyan told Armenpress that last year their Institute hosted a group of Syrian lawmakers. “We had an important conversation about the Armenian Genocide. We made our small contribution to the process of acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. The acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide by Syria is important as Syria is a Muslim country, and this opens a path to the condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by the Muslim world”, he said, adding that the Muslim world starts gradually condemning the Genocide of Armenians, because it doesn’t recognize religion, it is a crime against humanity. According to Safrastyan, that resolution is a result of political, geopolitical calculations, but the Armenians in Syria played a major role in the adoption of that resolution.

On February 13 the Parliament of Syria unanimously adopted a resolution on recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan