President Serzh Sargsyan gave a reception in honor of the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman

Today, at the Presidential Palace President Serzh Sargsyan gave a state reception in honor of the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman who is in Armenia on a state visit.

In accordance with the protocol, at state dinner the Presidents of the two countries raised toasts, in which they reflected on the results of the Czech President’s state visit to Armenia, prospects of development of interstate relations, issues on the bilateral agenda, which encompasses different areas, historical ties of the two nations, as well as to the important role of the Armenian community of the Czech Republic in the strengthening of friendship of the two countries and peoples.

“It is well known that steady and lasting relations rest on mutual respect and traditions of friendship of the nations which is acquired also through the development and strengthening of the humanitarian, cultural, and educational ties. In this context, I am glad to note that the Armenian Studies at the Karlovy University have been reinstated. I am confident It will allow Czech youth to learn about the Armenian culture as well as to better familiarize with the Armenian nation and our traditions. In the words of the famous Czech pedagogue and humanist Jan Amos Comenius “The School is manufactory of the humanity.” The Armenian people are deeply cognizant of the wisdom of these words because through the centuries of our existence our people risked their lives to save precious manuscripts, to teach and to advance our future generations. I hope that Armenian students in their turn will have the opportunity to learn Czech language.

The desire to learn Czech language and culture is conditioned by the fact that here, in Armenia we know and love the great sons of the Czech nation – Hašek, Kafka, Dvořák, Smetana and others whose immortal creation continue to amaze and educate new generations. Thus, not surprisingly for the Armenians, the Czech Republic and especially Prague have always been one of the most admired tourist destinations,” said President Serzh Sargsyan in his toast.

At the conclusion of his speech, President Sargsyan quoted from Milan Kundera, “Friendship is indispensable to man for the proper function of his memory. Remembering our past, carrying it with us always, may be the necessary requirement for maintaining, as they say, the wholeness of the self.” The President of Armenia underscored that these great words can be attributed also to the friendship and memories of the Armenian and Czech peoples which make the strongest foundation for solid relations.

In response, the President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman raised a toast for the happy future of Armenia and noted that he would like to ponder over the issue which bonds together Armenian and Czechs. “Today, after lunch, a young Czech journalist, who doesn’t have sufficient life experience, asked me where the bottomline of genocides must be drawn. I told him, “My young fellow, I will give you one example: In Europe, during the World War, in concentration camps, in gas chambers and other place 6 million Jews had been killed but thousands, may be ten thousands had survived. Do you mean to say it wasn’t genocide? Only because some thousands survived? The same is true for the Armenian Genocide. There are people who would say, “Some had survived, so it was not genocide. It is nonsense. I mean that we are united through our destiny because had the Nazi Germany won in the World War, my nation would have been condemned to genocide,” said President Zeman and underscored that those who deny the Genocide are the same people who deny the Holocaust. The President of the Czech Republic stressed that individuals who stick to denial are cowards. “Mr. President, I have never been a nice politician. They are simply cowards. I am speaking about human rights: for some, the most important right is the right to protest against the government. They have made demonstrations against me too, against other politicians – it is normal. However it is not the most important of human rights. The most important right is the right to live. And all those who deny that right have no right to speak about other human rights. I raise my toast for the right to live,” said President Zeman at the state reception at the Presidential Palace.