On March 12, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, who had left for the State of Kuwait as part of the delegation led by RA Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, arrived in Beirut.

On the morning of March 13, His Holiness Aram I, Supreme Patriarch received RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan. His Holiness praised Minister Hranush Hakobyan’s dedicated efforts for the development of the Armenia-Diaspora partnership. The sides discussed the organizing of events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide and programs devoted to the Armenia-Diaspora partnership. RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Lebanon Ashot Kocharyan was also attending the meeting.

After the meeting with His Holiness Aram I, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan had a meeting with leader of the Armenian Diocese of Lebanon, Bishop Shaheh Panossian at the Prelacy of the Armenian Diocese of Lebanon.

On the same day, the minister visited the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate where she had a meeting with Armenian Catholicos-Patriarch of the House of Cilicia Nerses Petros XIX.

His Holiness talked about the past and upcoming events of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate and stressed the imperative to work together. His Holiness also attached importance to the Holy Mass set to be held at the St. Peter Church of the Vatican on 12 April during which Pope Francis will declare Saint Grigor Narekatsi as an archimandrite of the Universal Church.

Afterwards, the minister received President of the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East and President of the Armenian Evangelical World Council, the Very Rev. Megerdich Karagyozian.

During the visit to Lebanon, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan participated in an Evening of Gratitude dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide and hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Beirut.

In his opening remarks following performances of the national anthems of the Republic of Lebanon and the Republic of Armenia, RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Lebanon Ashot Kocharyan mentioned that the goal of the several events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide around the world was to raise awareness and let the international community know about the Armenian nation’s claims. The Ambassador expressed gratitude to the Parliament of Lebanon, as well as all countries and international organizations for recognizing the Armenian Genocide. He emphasized the fact that the Armenians, taking the path to being reborn and being liberated, is celebrating the victory of life over death. In closing, the Ambassador expressed certainty that only by the will and collective force of the entire international community will it be possible to restore historical justice. The Ambassador’s speech was followed by a speech by Vice-Chairman of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Lebanon Central Committee Shahan Kantaharian, who spoke about the symbol of this very important year for all Armenians and voiced hope that the international community would give a fair and legal evaluation of the crime that was committed.

In his speech, Member of Parliament of Lebanon, representative of Lebanon’s Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament Ghasan Mukhaiber touched upon the sufferings and deprivations of the Armenians and the Lebanese in the Ottoman Empire and used the phrase “We Are All Armenians”. According to him, whereas an inhumane crime was perpetrated against the Armenians in the form of massacres and genocide that took the lives of 1.5 million innocent people, the Lebanese died from hunger, and Lebanon lost 40 percent of its population. Ghasan Mukhaiber expressed certainty that there would come a time when the Turks would return the territories and properties that they had illegally seized from the Armenians. He spoke proudly of the Lebanese-Armenian community that the people of Lebanon treat with a special attitude and respect and called on the international community to come together as one to prevent potential genocides.

In her closing speech, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan emphasized that the Armenians would always remember the support that the Arab World, particularly the people of Lebanon provided to the Armenians, thanks to which those Armenians were saved, took shelter, settled, integrated and actively participated in the country’s public, political, economic and cultural life. The minister cited the words in the speech by the RA President at the UN General Assembly, expressed gratitude to all the states, international, religious and non-governmental organizations and the attending Ambassadors who have recognized and condemned the horrible crime against humanity, that is, the Armenian Genocide. Touching upon Turkey’s policy of denial, Hranush Hakobyan mentioned that Turkey still isn’t sparing any effort to distort, deny and falsify the reality. The minister expressed certainty that there would come a day when Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide since the Turks have started examining the real history, and all Armenians will never keep silent and will constantly demand the restoration of their national rights. Minister Hranush Hakobyan also presented the main principles of the Pan-Armenian Declaration on the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide that are in line with the slogan “I Remember and Demand”. Hranush Hakobyan stressed the fact that the Armenian people are building a free, independent and democratic state, regardless of the fact that Turkey and Azerbaijan have been keeping Armenia in an illegal blockade for nearly 25 years now.

The event included showings of posters devoted to the Armenian Genocide from Scandinavian archives and foreign presses, as well as musical performances.

Among those attending the Evening of Gratitude were Lebanon’s Ministers of Energy, Education and Higher Education and Agriculture, Members of Parliament, officials representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries, representatives of former presidents, the Ambassadors of the Russian Federation, the United States of America, France, Germany, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Austria, Poland, India and Cyprus, the Charge d’Affairs of Greece and Serbia, the representatives of the Holy See, the Embassy of Syria, the European Union and the United Nations, religious leaders, as well as members of political parties and media representatives.

On March 14, Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon Nabih Berri received on Saturday RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan and RA Ambassador to Lebanon Ashot Kocharyan in Ayn Tine.

Minister Hranush Hakobyan expressed gratitude to Berri, under whose leadership the Parliament of Lebanon passed resolutions condemning the Armenian Genocide in 1997 and 2000.

The minister presented the parliamentary speaker the state and governmental events that will be held in Armenia for the commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. She also mentioned that within the framework of those events, Yerevan will host a forum of journalists (18-20 March) that will bring together nearly 150 presses from all corners of the globe, of which 7 will be from Lebanon.

During the meeting, the minister proposed to Nabih Berri to represent Lebanon with a high-ranking delegation at the event for the commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide to be held in Yerevan on April 24^th.

The Minister of Diaspora added that there was also going to be a forum entitled “Fight against the Genocide” with the participation of official delegations participating in the events dedicated to the Centennial.

Hranush Hakobyan also mentioned that the canonization of the 1.5 million martyrs of the Armenian Genocide was going to be held at the Holy Etchmiadzin on April 23^rd.

At the end of the meeting, Hranush Hakobyan expressed satisfaction with the fact that she was in the small country of Lebanon where there are tens of thousands of Armenian citizens.

During the visit to Lebanon, the minister also attended the opening ceremony of gifted Lebanese-Armenian painter/sculptor Raffi Tokatlian’s personal exhibition, the exhibition showcasing the works of People’s Painter of the Republic of Armenia Anatoli Grigoryan at Lucy Tutunjian Hall, the central headquarters of Homenetmen Central Committee and participated in and expressed words of appreciation during the event devoted to the 150^th birthday anniversary of General Andranik hosted by representatives of Beirut’s Dzaghig literary magazine as part of the events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

At the end of the visit, Minister Hranush Hakobyan paid a visit to Anjar where she had several touching and impressive meetings.