Minister of Defense of Greece Nikos Tentias participated in a mass for Naming at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church of Athens, which is the Armenian Prelacy in Athens, reports Greece’s Azad Or newspaper.

After the mass, the minister had a meeting with members of the local Armenian community and discussed the Armenian-Greek military partnership and Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide.

The members of the community expressed their gratitude for Greece’s position on the Armenian Genocide and the recent adoption of the draft law criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide. The members also emphasized the fact that Armenians will be holding commemoration ceremonies dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in several countries around the world. They also attached importance to the fact that the President and the Prime Minister of Greece, who have already received invitations to participate in the commemoration ceremony dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2015, will definitely visit Yerevan and will stand by the friendly Armenians’ side.

In response, the Greek Minister of Defense said he attaches importance to the role of Armenia and the presence of the community in Greece and said that, like the Armenians, the Greeks will also be mourning for the victims of the crime against humanity on the occasion of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.