ArmInfo.The diplomatic relations established between Armenia and Greece 27 years ago are only a small fraction of the centuries-old history that links the Armenian and Greek peoples, Greek Ambassador to Armenia Nafsika Nancy Eva Vraila stated n March 25 in Yerevan at the solemn reception on the occasion of the Independence Day of Greece, which was attended by high-ranking officials, diplomats, artists.
She recalled that Armenians and Greeks lived side by side during the times of the two great empires of Ottoman and Byzantine, when there was no need for visas to communicate. According to her, after the fall of these two empires, Armenians and Greeks shared the same torment and fought for the independence of their states. "The refugees from the Genocide of Armenians and refugees from Asia Minor, together with the Greeks, found sheltum in Greece for a short or long time in 1923, and then went further to North or South America, to Europe and thereby created a large Armenian Diaspora. Those who stayed in Greece, love Armenia and Greece equally, and in turn, a small group of people of Greek origin who are fully integrated into Armenian society lives in Armenia itself, "the Greek diplomat noted.
At the same time, the Ambassador stressed that today relations between Armenia and Greece are at a very high level, and she highlighted three successful areas of cooperation. "Firstly, in terms of political relations, in 1996 the Greek Parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire and criminalized its denial.
<Our country supports Armenia in rapprochement with European structures, welcomes the signing of a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Armenia and the EU, and also prepares to ratify this agreement in the Greek parliament. CEPA will open up opportunities for cooperation in many areas, as well as provide conditions for democratic and economic reforms in Armenia, "the diplomat said, recalling the effective cooperation of the two countries at international platforms and frequent reciprocal visits at different levels.
In this context, Nafsika Nancy Eva Vraila informed that today a new tripartite format is being formed for interaction on political and diaspora issues <Greece-Cyprus-Armenia>. In this regard, the diplomat expressed her hope that soon the foreign ministers of the three countries will meet for the first time in Cyprus.
As the second direction of interaction, the Ambassador pointed to defense cooperation, which, in her conviction, has been actively used since the first days of establishing diplomatic relations. "Armenia and Greece carry out multilateral cooperation in the field of defense. One of the main areas of cooperation is military education and training, a large number of Armenian officers were trained in Greek military institutions. In addition, Armenia and Greece effectively cooperated in international peacekeeping activities," said Ambassador.
As the third important area of cooperation between the two countries, the Greek diplomat pointed out the exchange of tourists. According to her, in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of tourists from Armenia to Greece, helped by the opening of regular flights from Yerevan to Athens, as well as charter flights to Crete, to Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, to the Rhodes and Corfu Islands. "I am pleased to announce that Greece has become the number one destination for Armenians, thereby stimulating business contacts and connections between people. It is undeniable that it is necessary to further develop and strengthen trade and economic ties, this also applies to cultural exchanges. We promise to work on these two areas. We also intend to assist Armenia on the issue of visa liberalization, "the diplomat said.
In conclusion, Nafsika Nancy Eva Vraila recalled that the Armenian-Greek business forum was held in Yerevan the other day and expressed hope that soon the exhibits of Byzantine art brought from Greece will be on display in the Historical Museum of Armenia.