YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. As part of the official visit to Serbia, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and First Lady Nune Sarkissian visited the Monument to the Unknown Hero in Belgrade on October 5. They were accompanied by Serbian Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin.

The monument was built was built in 1938 on the place where an unknown Serbian World War I soldier was buried.

President Armen Sarkissian and First Lady Nune Sarkissian paid homage to the memory of the WWI soldiers in the memorial. Sarkissian then signed the guestbook: “At this historic moment we remember those who dedicated their lives to their fatherland”.

The president then visited the Belgrade Fortress and toured the 3rd century BC castle accompanied by the monument’s director Marija Reljić and Mayor of Belgrade Zoran Radojičić.

In the 16th-18th centuries many Armenian merchants settled in Serbia and founded an Armenian church. The church did not surviving throughout the centuries but the gravestones with Armenian writings were moved to the fortress’s territory and are preserved up to this day. Sarkissian laid flowers at these gravestones during the visit.

Belgrade Mayor Zoran Radojičić said: “The Serbian people know the Armenian people’s history and culture, value it and appreciate the Armenian president’s visit to this historic location where an Armenian trace also exists”.

He said they’d be happy if Belgrade and Yerevan were to become sister cities.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan