The President also laid a wreath to the Genocide monument (PHOTOS).
Sargsyan was accompanied by PM Hovik Abrahamyan, National Assembly Acting Vice-Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov, Constitutional Court President Gagik Harutyunyan, and several ministers and other officials.
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II performed a requiem service for the souls of the innocent victims of the Genocide.
The Armenian Genocide Memorial, in capital city
As every year, the path toward the Memorial is full of people.
The 1915-1923 events are considered by many historians as a state-supported mass murder - genocide. Armenia states that the death toll exceeds 1.5 million people; the half of all Armenians at the beginning of the last century.
The fact of the Armenian Genocide is formally recognized by many countries. It was first recognized in 1965 by Uruguay. The Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey is also recognized by France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Sweden, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, and 44 of the 50 US states. Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Australia likewise have made similar decisions. Russia, on the other hand, has adopted two official statements condemning the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian Genocide is also recognized by the Vatican, the European Parliament, and the World Council of Churches.
Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am