Wednesday, May 11 2022 13:46

ArmInfo.Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan started his official visit to the Netherlands from the Boskamp Cemetery in Assen, where he laid a wreath at the khachkar  dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims. The members  of the Armenian governmental delegation, Mayor of Assen Marco Out  also laid flowers. The khachkar-monument dedicated to the victims of  the Armenian Genocide was erected in Assen in 2001.

Afterwards, Prime Minister Pashinyan attended the official opening  ceremony of "Under the Spell of Mount Ararat. Treasures from Ancient  Armenia" exhibition in Drents Museum in Assen. The opening ceremony  of the exhibition took place at Joseph Church, with the participation  of the Abovian Cultural Association of the Netherlands. The Director  of the Drents Museum, Harry Tupan, made a speech.  According to him,  the exhibition was scheduled for 2020, but was postponed due to the  coronavirus.

In his speech, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said,

"Dear Mrs. King's Commissioner in Drenthe,

Dear Mr. King's Commissioner in Groningen,

Dear Mayors,

Dear Mr. Tupan,

Dear compatriots,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am glad that we are finally launching this remarkable exhibition  "Under the spell of Mount Ararat:  Treasures of Ancient Armenia",  being held in the symbolic year of the 30th anniversary of the  establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia  and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

This event was planned to take place 2 years ago, and was twice  postponed, due to COVID-19. We are finally here, presenting a new  layer of Armenia's culture and history to the Dutch and European  public.

This year Armenian culture is being presented in the Netherlands in  an unprecedented manner. The exhibition of the relic and valuable  objects from the History Museum of Armenia and Mother See of Holy  Etchmiadzin will shed new light on the Armenian cultural heritage  deriving from the depths of history.

The exhibition once again demonstrates and reminds the warm and  historically friendly relations that exist between the people of  Armenia and the Netherlands. Committed to common values and national  identities, our peoples have always been open and deeply interested  in interpenetrating cultures.

The first mention of the Armenia-Netherlands interactions dates back  to the IV century. In the XVII and XVIII centuries, Amsterdam was one  of the prominent centers of Armenian printing where Matheos Tsaretsi,  Armenian cleric and publisher established a printing house in 1660.  In 1666 Voskan Yerevantsi, Armenian clergyman, printed here the first  Armenian printed edition of the Bible in 5000 copies based on the  Bible written upon the order of Hethum the Second, the 13th-century  King of Cilicia. The publisher collaborated with the great Dutch  punch cutter Christoffel van Dijck. This is a great example of a  cultural interaction and testimony of the same origins of  civilization of Armenia and the Netherlands.

Another episode of early interactions between Armenia and Netherlands  is that Armenian merchants established commercial houses in the  Netherlands in the 16th century. Holy Ghost Revival Church of  Amsterdam was built in 1714 by Armenian merchants, which later became  the center of social and cultural life for Armenians in Amsterdam. In  the 1700s, 70 Armenian families already lived in Amsterdam. One of  Amsterdam's ancient bridges, which served as a transit route for  Armenian merchants from Jugha in the 17th century, is now called the  "Armenian Bridge".

The presentation of this impressive collection at the Drents Museum,  and the bilingual catalog will give us a strong impetus for  strengthening the friendship between the two nations and allow  thousands of visitors to discover Armenia's past under the spell of  Ararat, which has always been a universal symbol for Armenians and  Christians in general, and a guideline for continuity.

I would like to thank the initiators of this project, some of them  present here today, those who supported its realization, regardless  of difficulties. Special thanks go to the Romashuk-Hayrapetyan family  from Assen for their engagement and assistance from the very first  day.

Once again, I am truly delighted to attend this occasion and look  forward to hosting a similar Dutch exhibition in Armenia.

Thank you".

Afterwards, 5 figures from different spheres of the Netherlands were  awarded the state awards of Armenia for their contribution to the  establishment, strengthening, development of friendly relations with  the Republic of Armenia, and pro-Armenian activities. Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan handed over the awards at a ceremony organized at the  Drents Museum.

At the proposal of the Prime Minister and by the decree of the  President of the Republic of Armenia, on the occasion of the 30th  anniversary of Armenia's independence, Inge Drost, Andr‚ Rouvoet,  Leen van Dijke, Harry van Bommel and Anna-Maria Mattaar were awarded  with state awards of Armenia for their significant contribution to  the establishment, strengthening, development of friendly relations  with the Republic of Armenia, and to the protection of universal  values. In particular, Andr‚ Rouvoet and Inge Drost were awarded the  "Mkhitar Gosh" medal, Harry van Bommel, Leen van Dijke - the  "Gratitude" medal, Anna-Maria Mattaar - the "Movses Khorenatsi"  medal.

In his speech, the Prime Minister particularly said, "Mrs. Drost, Mr.  Rouvoet, Mr. van Dijke, Mr. van Bommel,

I am very glad to welcome you in this solemn ceremony of decorating  you with Armenian state awards. I would like to say that this is the  expression of our warm gratitude and appreciation for your activity  as great friends of Armenia and the Armenian people, and for your  support concerning very important topics for Armenia, for  internaitonal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, promotion and  protection of the rights of the people of Artsakh.

The popularization of Armenian culture in the Netherlands, the  popularization of the Dutch culture in Armenia is very important,  which, of course, deepens the bilateral and humanitarian ties between  our friendly countries and states. And of course, the political,  humanitarian and other support should also be mentioned, and I would  like to say that we are grateful to you and we consider you as  friends of Armenia and we count on you, and you also can count on us.  I hope you will continue your support to Armenian democracy, Armenian  peace agenda, and of course, the rights of people of Artsakh and  Nagorno Karabakh.

I believe that as a result of this cooperation and friendship, we can  make this world a better place.

Thank you so much and my appreciation on behalf of the Republic of  Armenia and the people of the Republic of Armenia, people of Artsakh  for your support and friendship".

The above-mentioned exhibition will be open until October 30. 160  valuable exhibits from the History Museum of Armenia, the Treasury of  the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin are presented. A unique relic of  Noah's Ark is also exhibited.

Within the framework of the visit, Prime Minister Pashinyan will have  meetings with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands  Mark Rutte, the President of the Senate of the Netherlands Jan  Anthonie Bruijn and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Vera  Bergkamp. Nikol Pashinyan will meet with members of the foreign  relations committees of both Houses of parliament. The Prime Minister  is also scheduled to meet with representatives of the Dutch business  community.

Nikol Pashinyan will also visit the Netherlands Institute of  International Relations, Clingendael. The Prime Minister of the  Republic of Armenia will deliver a lecture at the Netherlands  Institute of International Relations entitled "Armenia and the  Netherlands. Centuries-old friendship - 30-year partnership".