President Sarkissian paid tribute to the memory of the pilots at the memorial cross-stone: Memory of the perished Serb pilots is always in our hearts

President Armen Sarkissian, who is in Serbia on official visit, today together with Mrs. Nouneh Sarkissian visited Chemuni administrative region at the western part of Belgrade where in the vicinity of St. Gabriel Archangel church an Armenian cross-stone is installed in the memory of the Serb pilots who were killed in the crash of their aircraft which was delivering assistance to Armenia after the devastating earthquake of 1988 in Spitak.

Here he was greeted by the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic.

The Presidents paid tribute to the memory of the fallen pilots. Present at the ceremony were also members of the families of the pilots. Presidents of Armenia and Serbia conversed with them. President Sarkissian said in particular that it was no accident that in those days the brotherly Serbia was among the first to lend a hand to Armenia.

“The devastating earthquake of 1988 was a great tragedy for our people but it was another great pain to learn that the pilots, who were rushing to help, were killed in a crash. The memory of these pilots is always in our hearts and in Armenia, where their aircraft crashed, there is a monument which became in a way a symbol of the friendship of the Armenian and Serb peoples,” he said.

President Sarkissian also informed that in the framework of his visit an agreement was reached to declare Gyumri and Novi Sad of Serbia sister-cities and said that he would be happy to host everyone in Armenia.