On April 13, commemoration meeting, entitled “I remember and I demand”, dedicated to the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide, was organized at Svetlanov Hall of Moscow International House of Music, on the initiative of Russia Centenary Central Body and “Armenian-Russian Cooperation” NGO in cooperation with the Embassy of Armenia in Russia.

Prominent representative of state, political, cultural and public spheres of Russia, members of Federation Council of Russia and the State Duma, the Ambassadors, leaders of regional and international organizations, diplomats, well-known members of Armenian community in Russia and journalist attended the event.

Commemoration meeting kicked off with the prayer by Head of the Russian and Nor Nakhichevan diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Ezras Nersisyan in the memory of innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide.

In his welcoming remark, Ambassador of Armenia to Russia Oleg Yesaian mentioned, that Centenary of the Armenian Genocide is a new and purposeful start in the process of international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. “Out of a sense of duty and responsibility to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, Armenian people will continue its persistent fight for restoration of justice, as only universal recognition, condemnation and remorse may provide an opportunity to eliminate consequences of any similar heinous crime”, mentioned Ambassador Yesaian, adding that recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is in the interest of the world, including Turkey.

In her speech, Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, Co-Chair of Armenian-Russian inter-parliamentary commission, Hermine Naghdalyan presented to the attendees undeniable facts of the Genocide, committed in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people, stressing the importance of consolidation of the international community in the fight against the crimes against humanity perpetrated nowadays. “Prevention of acts of genocide is a goal, the whole international community should set. We, as the generation of people, survived the genocide feel our considerable responsibility in the international fight for recognition and prevention of acts of genocide, in the issues of restoration of rights of the peoples, survived the Genocide and restoration of the historical justice”, mentioned Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia.

In his message, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Nikolai Levichev mentioned that no statutory limitations are applicable to such kind of crimes that they are indelible from the pages of the history of humankind. “Genocide is not only a crime against the people, but also its traditions and belief. It is a crime against the future, and, in general, against the development of the civilization. Today we have no right to consign to oblivion that crime, as concealment of the facts of Genocide opens the window to perpetration of new crimes.”- mentioned Nikolai Levichev. Deputy Chairman of the State Duma expressed confidence that it is necessary to establish inviolability mechanisms against sources of violence spread like a contagious decease, including both efficient structures across the Eurasian area and on the level of state and civil society.

Commemoration meeting proceeded with the musical-dramatic performance “Armeniada” by the Moscow Theatre after Sergey Parajanov, dedicated to the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide.