MONTEVIDEO — The Armenian Embassy was officially opened in Uruguay capitol Montevideo on March 22, in the presence of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries Ararat Mirzoyan and Omar Paganini.
The Armenian flag was raised by Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, after which the national anthems of Armenia and Uruguay were played.
The event was attended by a number of other high-ranking officials, including acting Vice-President of Uruguay, acting President of the General Assembly and the House of Senators Graciela Bianchi Poli, President of the House of Representatives Ana Olivera, heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Montevideo, public and political figures.
“It is a great happiness and a great honor for me to welcome you today in Uruguay, in Montevideo, already officially in this small territory of the Republic of Armenia. It is a greater honor and happiness for me to raise the flag of my country, the Republic of Armenia, and, in fact, to give an official start to the opening of the resident Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,” Minister Mirzoyan said in his opening remarks.
Minister Mirzoyan said the two countries have managed to develop warm, friendly, allied relations and build a very high-level political dialogue since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992. At the same time, he noted that there is a clear understanding within the leadership of the two countries that it is time to deepen these relations, this partnership, to build economic relations, cultural ties, and promote people-to-people ties on this basis. He added that an important link – resident Embassies in the two capitals – was missing.
“And today we can proudly note that this gap has been filled. The resident Embassy of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay operates in Yerevan and the flag of Uruguay flies, and the resident Embassy of the Republic of Armenia operates in Montevideo and the state flag of the Republic of Armenia flies,” he said.
Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that the relations between the two countries are based on long-term historical warm ties between the two peoples. “More than a hundred years ago, Uruguay gave shelter to Armenians who fled the Armenian Genocide for which we truly express our gratitude. At the same time, we see that Armenians and their descendants have had all the opportunities to develop and now represent an important, loyal and prosperous part of Uruguayan society,” Ararat Mirzoyan said.
He conveyed greetings to the Armenian community in Uruguay and expressed gratitude to them for being a bridge between the two states.
