The President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sargsyan with his wife Nune Sargsyan visited the headquarters of the German Red Cross Organization in Berlin on the evening of November 27.

The German Red Cross, which provides humanitarian assistance around the world in areas affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts, began operations in Armenia immediately after the 1988 Spitak earthquake. The organization actively participated in both rescue operations and provided extensive and multifaceted support to the earthquake-affected population in cooperation with the Armenian Red Cross Society.

President Armen Sarkissian had a meeting with Gerda Hasselfeldt, president of the German Red Cross, to thank the Armenian people for extending a friendly hand of help in that difficult phase.

At the meeting with the organization’s employees, the President of the Republic, speaking about the severe consequences of the catastrophic earthquake that occurred 30 years ago, the loss of life, and the large population left homeless, noted:

“All this is very sad and tragic. But in these 30 years, there is also a very human, warm story. A story about the lack of human love, care, attention and indifference. We Armenians living in Armenia and all over the world will never forget the warmth, attention and human attitude that our friends from all over the world and also from this wonderful country showed to Armenia and the Armenian people. I want you to be sure that there is that deep gratitude and respect in the heart of every Armenian. These are not just pretty words. I was recently in Gyumri, and I noticed that gratitude not only among the older generation, but also among those who are young, who did not see the earthquake with their own eyes, but the history is in them and they also carry the gratitude that their parents passed on. So, I am here to say words of thanks not only on behalf of myself, but also on behalf of the entire Armenian people.”

During the event, President Sargsyan handed over state awards and souvenirs of the Republic of Armenia to a number of employees of the German Red Cross. Johannes Richter, Deputy Secretary General of the German Red Cross, was awarded with the Mkhitar Heratsi medal, Siegfried Hetmannsperger and Karl-Heinz Scheide, representatives of the German Red Cross, with the Medal of Gratitude for their active participation in the elimination of the consequences of the catastrophic earthquake in Spitak and tireless charity work.

Addressing the president of the organization, Gerda Hasselfeldt, President Sargsyan asked to convey his words of thanks to the thousands of participants of the German Red Cross, to all those who invest their time, life and love to overcome someone else’s difficulties.

At the end of the event, Gerda Hasselfeldt, the President of the German Red Cross, handed over the 10,000 euro donation receipt for the repair works of the “Berlin” polyclinic in Gyumri to the wife of the Armenian President, Nune Sargsyan.

President Sargsyan thanked for the donation and added that he will also donate the same amount to the repair of Gyumri “Berlin” polyclinic, as an expression of true friendship between the two peoples and an opportunity to carry out larger works.