YEREVAN. – Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Saturday was awarded with the Gold Medal of the Human Rights League of Spain.

Nalbandian received president José Francisco Alonso Rodríguez of the Human Rights League of Spain.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that Rodríguez said the League Board has decided to award Armenia’s foreign minister with this medal, and in recognition of his personal contribution to the protection of human rights and strengthening of international peace.

Nalbandian, for his part, thanked for being considered worthy of this award. He assured that, as representative of a people that have survived genocide, the FM of Armenia considers the fight for human rights—first and foremost, the protection of the right to life—, and the prevention of new crimes against humanity to be among his primary duties.

President of the Human Rights League of Spain, in turn, noted that Armenia is internationally regarded as a pioneer in the battle for genocide prevention, and underscored Edward Nalbandian’s respective personal contribution as a senior official who always keeps this matter at international focus.

Separately, the Armenian FM thanked the president of the Human Rights League of Spain for attending the second Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide, which is held in capital city Yerevan.