YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS. An event dedicated to the 103rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was held in the St. Nicolas Armenian Catholic Church of Rome on April 24, Armenpress correspondent reports from Rome.

The event was attended by Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy Victoria Baghdasaryan.

At the beginning of the event they laid flowers at the Armenian cross-stone dedicated to the Genocide victims located in the Church’s yard which was followed by a liturgy in the St. Nicolas Armenian Catholic Church.

“Today the Armenian community has gathered in our Church to commemorate the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide committed in the Ottoman Empire. 103 years have passed since the attempt to exterminate Armenians, but we continued to live and create, preserve our faith, language and homeland, culture and churches. The evidence of this is the presence of these people”, the Ambassador said.

She noted that the Armenian Genocide commemorative events both in Armenia and across the world are the proof of the truthfulness of the words of Anatole France who said: “Armenia is dying, but it will survive. A nation that does not want to die, does not die”.

Many countries have recognized the Armenian Genocide: Uruguay is the first country that acknowledged the Genocide in 1965. The following countries have condemned and recognized the massacre of Armenians as a genocide based on international law: France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Uruguay, Argentina (2 laws, 5 resolutions), Venezuela, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Canada, Vatican, Austria, Luxembourg, Germany, the Czech Republic, Australia’s state of New South Wales, 48 US states.

Talal Khais 

English translator/editor – Aneta Harutyunyan