Catholicos Karekin II, together with senior clergy of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex on April 24 to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Catholicos Karekin II laid a wreath at the memorial complex, followed by a prayer service for the victims of the Armenian Genocide, who are canonized as martyrs by the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin also published Karekin II’s statement on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“Today, in Armenia and in diaspora communities, we commemorate our holy martyrs of the Armenian Genocide carried out in the Ottoman Empire, who became immortal by keeping alive in their souls the love for Christ and for the homeland.

April 24 symbolically encompasses the collective suffering of our people, in which are concentrated the memories of one and a half million martyred Armenians, our compatriots deprived of their homeland and forced into exile, our monasteries and churches subjected to cultural genocide, and our destroyed settlements. However, that tragedy did not break the spirit of our nation. Our people survived the genocide, revived new life everywhere, and reestablished the independent statehood of Armenia.

April 24 is a day of vow, intertwined with the demand of our worldwide nation, which is free from hostility and hatred, and is aimed at restoring justice and truth and preventing the denial of the atrocities of the genocide,” Catholicos Karekin II said in his message.

Czech Ambassador to Armenia Petr Pirunčík visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial on April 24, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, to pay tribute to the memory of the victims.

The ambassador posted a photo from the memorial and made a statement on social media.

“I visited Tsitsernakaberd and paid tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of the terrible events.

Today marks the 111th anniversary of the commemoration of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. We bow our heads in remembrance of the victims and express our solidarity with the Armenian people.

More than a century ago, Czech traveler and humanitarian KAREL HANSA, in his book ʜʀůᴢʏ ᴠýᴄʜᴏᴅᴜ (ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀsᴛ), bore witness to the suffering of the Armenian people and brought their tragedy closer to the Czech public. His words remain a powerful reminder of the importance of memory, truth, and humanity.

“𝐼 𝑠𝑎𝑤 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 — 𝑒𝑥ℎ𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦.”

And elsewhere he wrote:

“𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔.”

These testimonies remind us that remembrance is not only about the past — it is a commitment to human dignity, compassion, and the prevention of such atrocities in the future.

Nine years ago, on 25 April 2017, the Czech Parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide,” Ambassador Pirunčík said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has received a French governmental delegation comprised of Alice Rufo, Minister Delegate to the Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, and Aurore Bergé, Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men and the Fight against Discrimination.

Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the visit of the high-level French delegation to Armenia and noted that it is taking place at an important time for the development of relations and cooperation between the two countries, according to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Pashinyan stated that Armenia–France cooperation is currently at an unprecedented high level and expressed confidence that it will further expand and strengthen in the near future.

The Prime Minister highlighted his close dialogue with French President Emmanuel Macron, while emphasizing Macron’s undeniable role in the establishment of peace.

The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of deepening cooperation between Armenia and France in various fields, including security, veterans’ affairs, as well as the protection of human rights and the fight against discrimination and violence.

The French Minister Delegate to the Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs conveyed warm greetings from the President of France to Prime Minister Pashinyan, stressing that France will continue to stand by Armenia in all areas, including the promotion of the peace agenda. Alice Rufo and Aurore Bergé expressed their readiness to expand ties with Armenian partners and to share their experience in the aforementioned fields.

The meeting also involved an exchange of views on organizing high-level reciprocal visits, the preparation of the European Political Community summit to be held in Armenia, as well as cooperation within the framework of the International Organization of La Francophonie.

Ambassador of Russia to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial on April 24 to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

The embassy said in a press release that Ambassador Kopyrkin and the military attaché laid flowers at the Eternal Flame.

The embassy highlighted in its statement that in 1995, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation adopted a statement “On the Condemnation of the Genocide of the Armenian People in 1915–1922,” expressing deep compassion for the fraternal Armenian people.

President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun has released a statement on the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, describing the first genocide of the 20th century as “an open wound in the conscience of humanity.”

“With deep sorrow, I commemorate that human tragedy, which has become an open wound on the conscience of humanity, and I reaffirm my unwavering commitment to the values of justice, truth, and human dignity,” President Aoun said in the statement released by his office.

He added that since its founding, Lebanon has been a safe haven for Armenians seeking refuge within its borders and has made them an integral part of the country’s national fabric.

“Lebanese citizens of Armenian origin have never been guests in this country, but true partners in its building, resilience, and prosperity. They have contributed across various fields—from the economy to culture, from industry to the arts, and from politics to education—leaving a clear mark on the history of modern Lebanon,” he said.

“On this occasion, I salute the resilience of the Armenian people and their steadfastness in preserving their identity and memory. I affirm that commemorating this anniversary is not only a remembrance of the past, but also a renewed call to reject injustice wherever it occurs and to work for a more just and humane world,” the President said.

Aoun also affirmed that Lebanon will remain committed to its mission as a country of freedom and pluralism, adding that remembrance is the key to preventing the recurrence of tragedies.

“Let us draw from this memory the determination to strengthen our national unity, to protect human dignity, and to build a future worthy of the sacrifices of our ancestors and the hopes of future generations,” he added.

The Ambassador of Canada to Armenia, Andrew Turner, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan on Friday to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

Ambassador Turner posted a photo from the memorial and said: “It was a great honor for me today, on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, to represent Canada at Tsitsernakaberd. A powerful, moving ceremony.”

April 24, 2026, marks the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Minister for National Defense of Greece Nikos Dendias released a statement on the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, stressing that recognition of the historical truth by the entire international community is a necessary condition.

“Today we pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, one of the most horrific crimes against humanity of the 20th century. For Hellenism, which shares with its friendly people the historical experience of persecution and tragedy, commemorative events are not merely anniversaries. They are a constant reminder that recognition of historical truth by the entire international community is a necessary condition to ensure that crimes against humanity are never repeated. Never again,” the Greek defense minister said, posting a photo from his past visits to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial. 

Next week, Members of the European Parliament will vote on a resolution on EU support for Armenia’s democratic resilience, against the backdrop of the upcoming elections.

The debate is scheduled for Tuesday, 28 April, while the vote on the Council and Commission statements (with resolution) will take place on Thursday, 30 April, according to a press release published by the European Parliament press service.

“Armenians are expected to hold parliamentary elections on 7 June 2026. During Tuesday’s plenary debate with Commission and Council representatives, and in Thursday’s accompanying resolution, MEPs are expected to stress the need for a vote free from external interference, and to raise concerns over attempts by Moscow to sow disinformation and influence the ballot’s outcome. In addition, Parliament is expected to call for more efforts to strengthen Armenia’s overall democratic resilience, with the EU recently having launched a new civilian mission to support the Armenian authorities with capacity building and to face multi-layered threats such as foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), cyber-attacks and illicit financial flows. A dedicated EU-Armenia summit is also planned for 5 May,” it said, highlighting that on 11 March 2026, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin has released a statement on the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“Today we bow in memory of hundreds of thousands of victims of the Armenian Genocide, one of the most horrific tragedies of the 20th century,” Putin said in a statement published by the Kremlin.

“The brutal massacre of unarmed, innocent people—who were killed, injured, and forcibly displaced from their native towns and villages—shocked the entire civilized world, and its devastating consequences have clearly demonstrated where the incitement of religious hatred, nationalism, and xenophobia can lead.

I would like to note that our country’s position on this issue has always remained unchanged. It was already reflected in the joint declaration of Russia, Great Britain, and France in May 1915, which condemned the violence against the Armenian people as a crime against humanity and civilization, and later, in a new historical stage, in the State Duma’s statement of April 14, 1995.

We are convinced that policies of mass extermination and deportation based on national identity have no justification and cannot have any, and that the international community must unite its efforts so that such barbarity is never repeated anywhere.

The persecutions and repressions of those years became an unhealed wound for many generations, yet the catastrophe and its aftermath united people who demonstrated devotion to traditions, wisdom, and courage. I am confident that in the future as well, the sons and daughters of Armenia will preserve their national identity, their millennia-old culture, language, freedom, and spiritual values.

I wish the friendly Armenian people prosperity, well-being, and all the best,” he said.

Members of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) paid tribute in Strasbourg to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide on April 24.

“At the cross-stone installed in front of the Council of Europe headquarters, members of the Armenian delegation commemorated the innocent victims of the Mets Yeghern—the Armenian Genocide,” Ruben Rubinyan, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament and head of the Armenian delegation to PACE, said on social media.