On August 15, Armen Grigoryan, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, took part in the event dedicated to the 75th anniversary of India's independence.
" Dear Dr. Saharsabudhe, Your Excellency, Ambassador D'All, Ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends, On behalf of the Government of Armenia, I would like to personally welcome the delegation of the Council for Cultural Relations of India to Armenia.
I am glad to send our warm congratulations on behalf of the Government of Armenia on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India's independence.
India, with its statehood and culture, has always occupied a prominent place in world civilization. And today we are witnessing the significant achievements of the Indian society, which have a positive impact on the overall progress.
The relations between the Armenian-Indian people and the historical ties date back to the depths of millennia. They became especially active in the 17th and 19th centuries, when a large number of Armenian communities were formed in a number of major cities in India, which played an active role in the social, political, economic and cultural life of India.
It should be noted with satisfaction that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Armenia and India have managed to turn the centuries-old friendly relations into a warm interstate and partnership based on mutual respect and trust.
In recent years, many contacts and cultural events have taken place between our countries. Cooperation on multilateral platforms is also effective.
Unfortunately, The Azeri-Turkish aggression unleashed against Artsakh in September did not allow us to implement our planned programs. However, it is obvious that we still have a lot to do in order to realize the untapped potential of bilateral political, military, economic, business, cultural and educational cooperation.
We express our solidarity with the friendly Government of India and the people in their complete eradication of the coronavirus. Armenia has always supported India in the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. At the same time, we appreciate the statements made by the Indian authorities regarding the Azeri-Turkish aggression unleashed against Artsakh, foreign militants moving to the region, as well as the encroachments on Armenia's borders.
From the point of view of activating economic cooperation, the activity of the Armenian-Indian intergovernmental commission and holding business forums in the near future is greatly enhanced.
Cooperation between the two countries in the fields of information technologies, military, defense, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, tourism, education, culture and others is also promising.
Armenia is grateful to the Government of India, to the Indian people, to the centuries-old Armenian community in India, for their caring attitude towards the Armenian cultural heritage. We value the implementation of a number of programs in Armenia with the support of the Government of India in the fields of information technology, medicine and others.
As the great Indian thinker and politician Mahatma Gandhi said, whose statue was erected in Yerevan as one of the symbols of the friendship between our two nations, "relations are based on the following four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance and gratitude." I think that all these principles are present in the relations between the "states" of our people.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, looking back at the development of Armenian-Indian relations, we can state that Armenia and India have developed a dynamic dimension of interstate cooperation. We are determined to develop this cooperation to a qualitatively new level for the benefit of our people and countries."
