On May 22 the RA Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Edward Nalbandian and Hranush Hakobyan participated in the official opening ceremony of the Armenian Heritage Park and Genocide Memorial at the heart of Boston.

At the event attended by thousands of representatives of the Armenian community in Boston, Edward Nalbandian, the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deval Patrick, the Governor of Massachusetts, Congressman Edward Merkin, Thomas Menino, the Mayor of Boston, James M. Kalustian, the President of the Armenian Heritage Foundation and the religious leaders of the U.S. form the East Coast cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the monument.

In their speeches Deval Patrick, the Governor of Massachusetts; Congressman Edward Merkin and Thomas Menino, the Mayor of Boston stressed the contribution of Armenians in Massachusetts to the development and prosperity of Boston, Massachusetts and the United States. The American high-ranking officials touched upon the importance of remembrance, recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, and in this regard, welcomed the opening of the Genocide Memorial in Boston.

During the opening ceremony the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a speech, expressing gratitude to the authorities of the State of Massachusetts and Boston for supporting the realization of this remarkable initiative of the Armenian community, as well as expressed gratitude to the Armenian community organizations of the State of Massachusetts for putting forward this idea and implementing it through joint efforts.

“The Armenian Heritage Park opens today in the very heart of this historical city, it stands as the first memorial built on the state property land in Massachusetts devoted to the Armenian Genocide, and to the memory of the victims of all Genocides, as well as symbolizes the input that the Armenian community has made to the cultural diversity of the American society.

This park is also an expression of gratitude of our community to the United States, American people, the State of Massachusetts and this city which hosted hundreds of thousands of Armenians.

I recall my visit to Boston in September 2010, when the idea of the Armenian Heritage park and Memorial was shared with me. And I am proud to witness today that this project has been made reality,” told the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Referring to the importance of historical memory, Edward Nalbandian mentioned, “They say that the human memory is short, but the memory of humanity is surely not. Those who hoped, that the time will make one to forget the horrible crime of genocide, were deeply mistaken. Today, after almost 100 years, this ceremony, your presence here are the proof of that.

This initiative is implemented on the eve of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide and reiterates that each Armenian living in this world will never stand silent, never forget, and will continue to demand truth and justice. This just cause should be supported by all those, who are concerned about the peaceful future of the mankind.

The denials of genocides, the impunity pave the way for the repetition of new crimes against humanity. Independent of geopolitical or other interests the international community should stand together in the condemnation of genocide and its prevention. It is due to the absence of this unanimity that humanity witnesses new attempts of committing genocides.”

Minister Nalbandian underlined, “Although slowly, our joint efforts are beginning to yield results: Issues, which were under the ban in the Turkish society for about a century are beginning to open for a debate. The call by well known Turkish businessman Ishak Alaton is symbolic: he says: “let us also raise our voice in the Parliament in Ankara, let us respect the memory of innocent victims and reckon with our past.”

More and more people in Turkey start thinking like Alaton. The commemorations of the Armenian Genocide in Istanbul and other Turkish cities are the evidence of that.

We hope that this Memorial will become a place, where those perished will be remembered and paid tribute to not only by their own descendants but also by the descendants of perpetrators of that crime.”

Ahead of the opening of Memorial, Edward Nalbandian and Hranush Hakobyan met with Deval Patrick, the Governor of Massachusetts. They expressed gratitude to him for supporting the initiative of the Armenian community in Massachusetts. In the course of the meeting the issues related to the strengthening of an Armenian-American friendly partnership, as well as regional issues in the South Caucasus were touched upon in detail.

In Boston the RA Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora visited the Holy Trinity Church, the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center and the Armenian Museum.