Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said his country supports the efforts of the Armenians for international recognition of the genocide, Financial Mirror reported.

A statement on the occasion of the 104th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, said “the President of the Republic and the government condemn this appalling crime against the Armenian people, describing it as a stain in the history of mankind.”

Anastasiades said “the Republic of Cyprus supports the efforts of the Armenians for international recognition of the genocide and notes Cyprus was one of the first countries, the first in Europe and the second worldwide, which recognised this terrible crime and asks for the historical truth to be established.”

Addressing the Armenians of Cyprus, the President said they have contributed “in a substantive way to the progress we have achieved to our common homeland, and our co-existence constitutes an example for the whole world.”