Russian President Putin to Attend Genocide Centenary in Armenia

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend ceremonies marking 100 years anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

“Yes, he will fly to Yerevan,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP, adding the Russian leader had discussed the issue with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian by telephone on Thursday.

During the phone conversation, the two heads of state coordinated the schedule of their upcoming meetings to ensure joint participation in the events marking both the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

In a statement released on March 12, Putin’s press service said he and Sarkisian also discussed their countries’ “partnership” as well as “integration processes” within the Eurasian Economic Union (EES), which Armenia joined in January.

Earlier this year, French President Francois Hollande had also confirmed he will visit Armenia on April 24 for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.