Romania is probably in terms of constitutional and legislative rights, the state with the most advanced provisions regarding the Armenian community, said on Friday the president of the Union of Armenians in Romania, Varujan Vosganian.
He participated in the opening of the exhibition “Armenia and Romania: 30 years of diplomatic relations”, organized at the Museum of Art Collections, writes agerpres.ro.
“That’s what I’m saying all over the world. Nowhere in the world are Armenians constitutionally and legislatively enjoying the protection they enjoy in Romania,” Vosganian said.
He recalled that Romania was the first country, except for the former Soviet states, to recognize Armenia’s independence. “Armenians from all over the world will never forget this sign of friendship of the Romanian state,” he said, recalling his experience at the time.
“Thirty years ago, during the 1991 independence referendum in Armenia, I was there, I was young and I was very enthusiastic, and I promised that the country will be the first country to recognize independence,” said the president of the Armenian Union.
For his part, the Armenian Ambassador to Bucharest, Sergey Minasyan, pointed out that the Romanian Parliament was one of the first parliaments of EU countries “that began and soon, in October 2018, finalized the ratification of the comprehensive and strengthened EU-Partnership agreement. Armenia”.
“We appreciate Romania’s balanced position on the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the diplomat said. Moreover, he said that Armenians in the country are “an integral part of Romanian society.”
Secretary of State Dan Neculăescu (MAE) also stressed that the relationship with Romania has a “solid foundation”.
“Throughout history, the Armenian community that has chosen Romania to be its country has played an extremely valuable role in the political, economic and spiritual life of our state,” he said.
Former President Emil Constantinescu said at the opening that the Institute of Advanced Studies for the Culture and Civilization of the Levant launched a project three years ago, called “History of Armenians in the History of Romania”.
“I appeal to all researchers, historians. We have compiled the bibliography, made contacts and hope that in a few years we will publish a series of volumes that will gather all these testimonies of an exceptional contribution of the Armenian community throughout the century, almost a millennium, to the construction of the Romanian culture and civilization “, Constantinescu transmitted.
Former Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu stressed in this context that the relationship between the churches of the two states “is an extra bridge that will always exist between us”.
The anniversary exhibition is organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Romania, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, the National Museum of Art of Romania and the Union of Armenians of Romania.