On behalf of President Serzh Sargsyan state supper is held in honor of Greek President Karolos Papoulias

On behalf of President Serzh Sargsyan, a state supper was held this evening in honor of President Karolos Papoulias of the Hellenic Republic who has arrived in the Republic of Armenia on a state visit.

According to the established protocol, the presidents of the two countries exchanged toasts, touched upon the age-old friendship of Armenia and Greece and the historical connections of the two friendly peoples, the present high level of interstate relations and their development prospect.

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Toast by President Serzh Sargsyan at the state supper held in honor of Greek President Karolos Papoulias

Distinguished Mr. President, Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honor for us to host the delegation headed by President Karolos Papoulias of the friendly state of Greece in Armenia. Of course, Armenia is not a new discovery for Mr. President. He visited Armenia already in 2007, and we strongly believe that such reciprocal visits are the striking illustration of the age-old friendship of our peoples as representatives of ancient civilizations.

The history of the greatest achievements of human thought – democracy, art, science, philosophy – is often identified with the history of the Greek people. The values created by them many centuries ago still underlie the spiritual and cultural system of modern civilization. The Armenian people who have always enriched and made their unique contribution to this value chain throughout their age-old history and creative existence also embrace and share these values and ideas. From Hellenism to the adoption of Christianity, from the Byzantine Empire to the tragic events in recent history the Armenian and Greek peoples walked side by side supporting each other in difficult situations.

Some people say that real friends appear in times of trouble, while others consider ones who are able to frankly share others’ joy and successes as real friends. It is your choice, ladies and gentlemen, to show preference to one of these two definitions. However, I assure you that the Armenian-Greek friendship has proved its authenticity in both cases.

Dear guests,

It is not easy to describe the hardships Armenians suffered under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless, the Greek people know it well enough: it was our fortune to share that hard and cruel page of history. We are grateful to the Greek people who were the first to grant asylum to the Armenian refugees escaped from the Genocide becoming one our greatest friends in times of trouble. Today, the offspring of those refugees live and create in Greece thereby strengthening our friendship.

The Armenian-Greek friendship is also a history of happiness and successes. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations our interstate relations have embarked on the path of cooperation and mutual assistance which has been reflected in all the spheres of our bilateral contacts - political, economic, military, cultural, as well as inter-parliamentary and decentralized. Armenian and Greek soldiers have performed service side by side in an atmosphere of mutual understanding in the name of stability and security in our common European region.

Armenia attaches great importance to the European vector of its foreign policy, and in this regard Greece has been and continues to be a vital partner. Greece is one of the forerunners of the formation of European identity and Armenia is the first country of the world to adopt Christianity, the religion underlying European identity, as a state religion predetermining its future development path once and forever.

Dear participants,

I think it is an undeniable truth that it has been our fortune to live in extremely difficult period of time full of challenges and hardships. Though circumstances can vary and change permanently, the viability formula of each state remains the same: ensure the physical and economic security of its population and preserve the whole range of relations with friends who have stood the test of time making sure that short-term interests do not hinder their relations.

As one of the greatest Greek thinkers Aristotle put it: “Friendship is one spirit which lives inside two bodies.” And if the spirit of peoples is the ideas and values they have embraced, we can surely state that living in different states, the Armenian and Greek peoples share that common spirit.

I would like to raise a toast in honor of Mr. Papoulias, President of Greece, to the well-being of Greece and its people and to the glory of the Armenian-Greek enduring friendship. And as Greeks say “yasas” (Greek toast).

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Once again thanking for the invitation and warm hospitality, in his toast Greek President Karolos Papoulias noted that cultural similarity and strong historical ties bind Greeks and Armenians together. Undergoing hardships throughout centuries, those ties, according to the Greek President, have strengthened becoming the basis of the two peoples’ intimacy.

President Papoulias touched upon the sorrowful past of Pontic Greeks mentioning the Armenian Genocide in that context. “We are proud that Greece is not only one of those few countries which granted asylum to Armenians escaped from massacres, but also one of the first to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Recently, the Hellenic Parliament has passed a bill criminalizing the denial of genocides,” underscored Karolos Papoulias.

The president talked about the Armenian community in Greece and the Greek community in Armenia noting that the two communities firmly link Greece and Armenia to each other and stimulate friendship between the two peoples.

“Today’s negotiations once again reaffirmed the high ad effective level of our bilateral political relations characterized by an atmosphere of mutual respect and confidence.

Mr. President,

As I had the opportunity to tell you today, our economic cooperation has great potential for development. My country is undergoing structural changes which in fact stimulate business climate and reveal ample possibilities for cooperation.

I want to believe that the further enhancement of our trade and economic relations has good prospects which are testified by the participation of Armenian and Greek businessmen in the forum.

The cooperation between high educational institutions of our countries and the allowances provided to Armenian students studying in Greek educational institutions show that our relations in the sphere of education are developing dynamically.

I am very happy that there are Departments of Greek Language at Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Brusov and Yerevan State University.

At the same time, I attach great importance to the fact that the armed forces of your country recruit officers graduated from Greek military institutions.

Mr. President,

You know that Greeks and Greece have been linked to the Caucasus through historical ties. We do our best to ensure security and stability in the region believing that it will foster cooperation and economic growth.

The foreign policy of Greece has always been guided by the principle of resolving disagreements through peaceful means in compliance with international law, and of course, it also concerns to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We consider the format of the OSCE Minsk Group to be the most appropriate to resolve the conflict. We are following the latest developments with great interest. We want the conflict to be settled as quickly as possible grounded on viable, real and practical guarantees in compliance with the norms and principles of international law and we want that settlement to stem from the real interests and demands of the parties.

As a member of the European Union, Greece firmly supports the development of relations between the European Union and Armenia. Armenia is a country which has historical traditions rooted in European culture.

Greece always pays close attention to having good relations with its neighbors, as well as to the Balkan region where it is situated.

As I noted at our today’s meeting, the membership of the countries of the Western Balkans in the European Union is the strategic goal of Greek foreign policy. In order to realize that vision, it is necessary to establish good-neighborly relations with all states in the region,” said the Greek President talking about his country’s relations with Turkey in that context. He also touched upon the Cyprus conflict and presented the position of his country.

“Mr. President,

I am confident that our two countries will derive benefit from the warm atmosphere of today’s meeting by further deepening and strengthening our cooperation.

Considering the abovementioned sentence, I am raising a toast wishing you and you friends good health, success and wishing the Armenian people progress in all spheres,” said Karolos Papoulias in his toast.