President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has sent a congratulatory message to President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou on the occasion of the latter’s birthday.

The message reads as follows: “The close, century-old friendship between the Armenians and Uruguayans traces back to the moment when Uruguay received, with open arms, the Armenian migrants having escaped the Armenian Genocide. The fraternal ties between the two peoples became rooted with the immigration of thousands of Armenians who played a major role in the social and economic development of the country. Uruguay was the first country to recognize the Armenian Genocide and shape history.

The strong and partnering ties between our countries have always stood out with mutual trust and the bilateral and sincere desire to deepen them.

The Armenians of Uruguay highly contribute to the Armenian-Uruguayan cooperation with their invaluable contributions to the strengthening and maintenance of the friendship between our peoples.”