A tragic event marked the history of the Armenian people over 110 years ago in the Ottoman Empire. The Armenian Genocide, known as the "Teghean" in Armenian, was a systematic crime that took place between 1915 and 1923, resulting in the extermination of some 1.5 million Armenians. A tribute to the victims was paid during the press conference, organized at IPN under the title "In memory of the Armenian Genocide: the path to solidarity and mutual understanding".

"The Armenian Genocide was not just an atrocity against one people, but an attack on the entire civilization that lived on this territory for thousands of years," said Eduard Alhazov, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Armenian Community of Moldova. According to him, the genocide is a turning point in human history, which unfortunately continues to be overlooked by many nations of the world.

Karen Hovhannisyan, President of the Armenian community in Moldova, emphasized that the members of the Armenian community in Moldova share the grief caused by the tragedy and do not want such crimes to be repeated. According to Hovhannisyan, the Armenian genocide was not a struggle for the defense of a territory, but a massacre against people who were at home, but who were killed in the cruellest ways on their way to deportation.

The leader of the Armenian community considers it "important that Moldova adopts a draft law in relation to this genocide. Karen Hovhannisyan added that recognizing historical mistakes helps a nation to evolve and learn from the past, and ethnic Armenians in Moldova are asking for this step to strengthen the fundamental values of the state.

Although the exact number of victims cannot be accurately determined, historical research shows that hundreds of thousands of Armenians were killed during those years, others were deported to the desert regions of present-day Syria, where inhumane conditions led to the deaths of tens of thousands more. It was just the culmination of a series of persecutions that began long before 1915, but reached devastating peaks that year.

Despite this dramatic backdrop, Armenians around the world continue to keep alive the memory of those lost. Year after year, commemorative events, rallies and conferences take place to bring the historical facts to the attention of the general public.

"The pain experienced by Armenians is both personal and collective. We preserve the memories so that such crimes will never happen again in the history of humanity," said Karen Gasparean.

The Armenian community in Moldova emphasized the organic integration of Armenians into the country's economy and culture. Armenians who have been living on this territory for almost 800 years continue to be actively involved in the social, cultural and economic life of Moldova.

The conference participants also drew attention to the importance of recognition of the Armenian genocide by several states in order to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. They also emphasized that history severely punishes failure to learn the lessons and that the recognition and prevention of genocide is essential to protect the fundamental values of democracy.

The Armenian community in Moldova continues to preserve the memory of the Armenian Genocide through various educational and commemorative activities.

Every year, around April 24, Armenians gather in church, participating in liturgies and peaceful rallies to convey their grief as well as important details about this tragedy for the Armenian people. These and other activities are considered not only commemorative events, but also measures aimed at educating the youth to prevent such tragedies in the future.

"Every Armenian knows about this crime, and our children, since their school, learn about it. Future generations must know the history," said the community president.

At the end of the conference, leaders of the Armenian community called on the authorities to adopt a law recognizing the Armenian genocide, thus demonstrating their commitment to democracy and respect for human rights.

Note: The IPN Agency offers the right of reply to persons who consider themselves affected by the news reports based on statements made by the organizers of this press conference, including by facilitating the organization of another press conference under similar conditions.