YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on May 28 hosted the representatives of Club de Madrid (CdM) and the Aurora Prize Selection Committee which included CdM members Benjamin Mkapa, former President of Tanzania, and Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana, as well as Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico, who is a member of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, press service of the President’s Office told Armenpress.

They arrived in Armenia to participate in the Aurora Prize awarding ceremony which will be held on May 28 in Yerevan.

The President welcomed the guests in Armenia, stating that their participation in the Aurora Prize awarding ceremony speaks about the fact that the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative’s international reputation increases year by year, and that its ideology is truly based on universal values.

Stating that progressive humanity makes significant efforts to establish peace, stability, solidarity in the world, Serzh Sargsyan at the same time said with pain that today people regularly witness mass killings and massacres, xenophobic propaganda, religious, national, language discrimination, targeted destruction of cultural heritage. “This hints us that it is necessary to give new impetus to the fight against such crimes and definitely encourage those people who fight against similar crimes. We thank you personally that you with your activity contribute to this universal fight”, the President said, adding that both the meeting participants and all nominees of the Aurora Prize deserve greatest respect and admiration since their stories, as unique examples of courage and sacrifice, are all very exciting and at the same time are encouraging and inspiring.

During the meeting the sides exchanged views on Armenia’s foreign and domestic policy priorities, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process, a number of contemporary international affairs, Armenia’s current level of cooperation with other states and international organizations and the prospect of relations.

The guests also shared the experience of reforms carried out in different sectors of their countries.

President Sargsyan answered to questions of meeting participants.