President Serzh Sargsyan gave an official dinner in honor of the President of the Republic of Austria Heinz Fisher

Tonight, the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan gave an official dinner in honor of the President of the Republic of Austria Heinz Fisher and Mrs. Marget Fischer, who are in Armenia on official visit.

In his toast, President Serzh Sargsyan spoke about the 20-year long history of the interstate relations of the two friendly nations, as well as about the centuries-long connections of the Armenian and Austrian peoples, including the solid and continuous Armenian presence in Austria, which is dated back to the end of the 18th century, when a group of priests of the Mkhitarian Congregation, which has had a tremendous contribution to the educational and cultural development of the Armenian people and to the preservation of the national identity, established itself first in Trieste and later in Vienna.

“Speaking about the Armenian-Austrian connections, I cannot help recalling the name of an Austrian intellectual, whose name is engraved in gold in our history. I am talking about Franz Werfel, whose “Forty Days of Musa-Dagh” novel presented to the world an episode of the Armenians’ fight for survival from the horrendous days of the Armenian Genocide.

After the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Austria was among the first nations which lent a helping hand to the Armenian people and later established the Austrian Children’s Hospital in Gyumri and built the Austrian neighborhood, for which we are truly grateful to the Government of Austria.

In twenty years since Armenia’s independence our countries have registered considerable progress in their relations; however there is still large unutilized potential. On its behalf, Armenia is ready to make every effort to work toward that goal.

Austria is a member of the European Union, while Armenia has adopted the course of rapprochement with the European family. Our relations with the European Union have advanced significantly and the Eastern Partnership program provides ample opportunities to do it.

We express our satisfaction with the fact that the Development Agency of Austria has included Armenia on the list of the priority countries for cooperation and soon joint programs will be implemented in the areas of agriculture and renewable energy, both of which have vital significance for our country.

We have serious expectations also for the development of cooperation in the areas of culture, education, health care, and tourism. I would like to particularly underscore the area of culture. The Austrian music and literature have inspired numerous generations in different corners of the world. I believe many in Austria have interest in the Armenian culture. Rich cultural heritage of our two nations can become a pillar for the close cooperation in that area and for the implementation of joint programs,” President Serzh Sargsyan said.

The President of Austria thanked President Sargsyan for the invitation and warm reception and said in his toast, “Armenia has a three millennia long history. From the ancient times, it has been the cradle of the greatest arts and the first country which adopted Christianity as the state religion. We are happy that tomorrow we will see some of the exceptional cultural monuments, including the Geghard Monastery Complex which since 2000 has been a part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

Regrettably, in the course of its history the Armenian nation had to go through immense suffering: to honor the memory of the victims of the tragic events of 1915 and express respect of the Austrian people, this afternoon, I laid a wreath at the Memorial and planted a tree. There were other tragic events on different stages of the Armenian history.

Today, the history of our bilateral relations is more than twenty years old. Armenia was the first country of the South Caucasus region that in 1993 sent its ambassador to Vienna, and we highly value that fact. In its turn, Austria too has been constantly expanding its presence in Armenia. My delegation comprises also representatives of numerous Austrian companies which have come to establish new relations and find new partners. I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Armenian businessmen to use Austria’s economic advantages. Direct flights between Vienna and Yerevan carried out by the Austrian Airlines will assist in deepening our relations.

Good cultural relations between our countries are maintained also thanks to the Mkhitarians. Last year, the Mkhitarian Congregation celebrated the 200th anniversary of its creation. It is noteworthy, that newspaper Europe published in Vienna in 1847 was instrumental in the development of the new Armenian language.

I cordially congratulate Yerevan on its being nominated the World Book Capital, and I am glad that Austria is represented by a solid literary program.

In addition to excellent bilateral relations our countries are also unified by the established multilateral cooperation.”