The 197th Independence Day anniversary of Brazil was celebrated Wednesday in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

The event brought together Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Grigor Hovhannisyan, National Assembly Vice President Lena Nazaryan, representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia, representatives of international organizations, and members of the Brazilian community in Armenia.

Before the formal speeches, videos on the tourist sites in Armenia and Brazil were presented.

In his welcoming remarks, Brazilian Ambassador Agemar de Mendonça Sanctos noted, in particular, the great contribution of Armenians to the development of Brazil. In his words, relations between the two countries have been steadily developing since 2006, when the Brazilian embassy opened in Armenia.

Armenian deputy FM Grigor Hovhannisyan, for his part, noted, above all, that Armenian-Brazilian relations have a long history. Also, he stressed that Brazil was one of the first countries to recognize the First Republic of Armenia.