The Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari pays a two-day official visit to Armenia

26 April, 2017

On April 24, the Indian official delegation led by the Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari arrived in Yerevan upon invitation of the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. On 25 April morning, the Indian official delegation visited the Genocide Memorial accompanied by the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. The Vice-President of India laid a wreath and paid tribute to the memory of victims of the Armenian Holocaust with a minute of silence. He also left a note in the Guest Book of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute and later planted a fir tree in the memory Alley.

After visiting the Genocide memorial, the Prime Minister of Armenia K. Karapetyan received a governmental delegation headed by Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari. Attended by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari, the following cooperation instruments were signed between the two governments: a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of youth affairs between the Armenian Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India; a practical program of cultural cooperation in 2017-2020 between the Armenian and Indian Ministries of Culture; a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of outer space between the governments of Armenia and India as signed RA Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan and Secretary for East of the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Priti Saran.

At the same day the Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari was received by the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. The President welcomed the guests to Armenia and expressed hope that the official visit of the Vice-President of India to Armenia will give a new impetus to the centuries-long Armenian-Indian friendship. Speaking about the Armenian-Indian historical relations, President Sargsyan noted that back in 17-20 centuries Armenian communities already existed in India and played an active role in India’s social, political, economic, and cultural life, including in Calcutta where Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari was born. The parties concurred that the millennia-long Armenian-Indian relations constitute a solid base for the strengthening of the interstate ties and expansion of the cooperation agenda in different areas. President Serzh Sargsyan and Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari stressed the importance of high-level visits and active contacts on different levels, including between the legislative bodies of the two countries.

At the meeting, the Vice-President of India conveyed to President Sargsyan the message of the President of India Pranab Mukherjee with the invitation to conduct an official visit to India to discuss the agenda of the Armenian-Indian cooperation, opportunities and prospects for the deepening of the bilateral relations. Besides the bilateral relations, the parties discussed also the situation in the region, existing challenges, the NK peace process, as well as pressing international issues.

On April 25, Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, met Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India who is in Yerevan on an official visit.Vice President of India and Foreign Minister of Armenia touched upon the steps to be undertaken for the purpose of deepening the political dialogue and the economic ties, namely the intensification of contacts between businessmen, further deepening of collaboration in the spheres of high technologies, education, culture, agriculture, health, the expansion of the legal framework. In this context an importance was attached to the bilateral documents signed today. The head of the MFA of the Republic of Armenia briefed the Vice President of India on the positions of Armenia on a number of regional issues and the ways of their settlement.

On April 26, the Yerevan State University hosted Vice President of India Mr. Hamid Ansari. During his address to the students of the university, the Vice President mentioned the contribution of the Armenian community to the Indian national, social and cultural mosaic in 17-20 centuries. After Q&A session, Mr.Mohammad Hamid Ansari was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of the Yerevan State University.

On the same day, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II received the Indian governmental delegation headed by the Vice President. His Holiness welcomed the guests and expressed his gratitude to the Indian government for its attitude towards the Armenian community in India and the Armenian cultural heritage. The Armenian Pontiff informed the Vice President Ansari about the measures undertaken by the Mother See and the Armenian community of Kolkata aimed at the preservation of the Armenian churches and the expansion of educational activities of the Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy.

In turn, Vice President Ansari spoke about the historical presence of Armenian in India, stressing that being born in Kolkata, he was familiar with the history of Armenian people.

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