Full speech: Reception on the Occasion of the 35th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia

30 September, 2026

Honourable Ministers

Minister of Education, Sport and Youth Dr Athena Michaelidou,

Minister of Defence Mr Vasilis Palmas,

Minister of Labour and Social Insurance Mr Marinos Moushouttas ,

Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Mrs Tina Pavlou,

Deputy Minister of Culture Mrs Clea Hadjistephanou-Papaellina,

Your Eminence Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian,

Representative of the Armenian community in Parliament Mr Vartkes Mahdessian,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors,

Esteemed representatives of the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus,

Distinguished representatives of the Armed Forces and Security Services,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Dear members of the Armenian community,

Dear compatriots and friends,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you tonight and truly a great honour to have our distinguished guests as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia.

In 1991, thirty-five years ago, the Armenian people made a historic choice: to restore their independent state and take responsibility for their own future.

For Armenians, independence is much more than a date on the calendar. It is the freedom to determine our own path, preserve our identity, build our institutions and contribute to the international community as a sovereign state.

But let me first mention that this year has been a particularly active and important year for Armenia. In May, Yerevan hosted the 8th Summit of the European Political Community and the first EU–Armenia Summit, bringing together European leaders. The third edition of the Yerevan Dialogue forum further strengthened Armenia’s role as a platform for international discussion. In June, Armenia held free, fair, transparent and democratic parliamentary elections, marking an important milestone in the continued strengthening of our democratic institutions. And in October, we will welcome the international community to Yerevan for COP17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity — another major international event for Armenia and an opportunity to contribute to the global biodiversity agenda.

And celebrating this anniversary here in Cyprus has a very special meaning.

Armenia and Cyprus understand each other particularly well when it comes to the value of sovereignty, resilience, identity.

Our relationship is also much older than our diplomatic relations. For centuries, Armenians and Cypriots have lived, traded, travelled, studied and created side by side on this beautiful island. Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, our two countries have built a broad and genuinely friendly partnership.

Dear friends,

As we mark the first year since the establishment of the Embassy of Armenia in Cyprus, allow me to briefly look back at what we have achieved together — and I promise to be brief.

Over the past year, we have strengthened cooperation across political, security, economic, educational, cultural and humanitarian fields, and I am particularly proud that some of our efforts have moved from good conversations to tangible outcomes.

We have maintained an excellent level of political dialogue, while strengthening cooperation in multilateral formats, parliamentary relations and in the context of Armenia–EU cooperation.

We greatly appreciated this expression of support for Armenia’s democratic process and institutional development following Armenia’s parliamentary elections in June

We also warmly congratulate Cyprus on its successful Presidency of the Council of the European Union and its meaningful contribution to strengthening European security and resilience, advancing enlargement and reinforcing the EU’s role as a strong global partner.

Armenia supports a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue within the UN framework and in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Our high-level contacts have also been active.

In November 2025, the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia paid a working visit to Cyprus. The Deputy Foreign Minister also visited for political consultations with the Permanent Secretary.

In May this year, President Nikos Christodoulides visited Yerevan to participate in the 8th Summit of the European Political Community, hosted by Armenia. On the margins of the Summit, he met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to discuss bilateral relations, economic cooperation, regional stability and connectivity.

Our cooperation in innovation and digital transformation is also developing.

At the end of July, Cyprus’s Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Dr Nicodemos Damianou, paid a visit to Armenia and participated in the Sevan Startup Summit. The two ministries also signed an MoU, opening new areas of cooperation in start-up ecosystems, advanced technologies, and artificial intelligence.

Education and youth cooperation are equally important. In a few weeks, we will have the pleasure of welcoming Minister Athena Michaelidou to Armenia, including with a view to further develop our cooperation and updating the relevant legal framework.

It is very important because when we work with young people, we are not simply creating cooperation for today. We are investing in those who will carry the Armenia–Cyprus friendship forward tomorrow.

Economic cooperation has also become an important priority for Armenia, particularly following the recent transformation of our Foreign Ministry into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

We have worked closely with the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry to bring our business communities together, and we expect the Cyprus–Armenia Business Association to be established very soon.

We look forward to welcoming Cyprus to the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, COP17, which Armenia will host in Yerevan in October.

Culture has been another particularly active area.

This month, we were pleased to welcome the Armenian State Opera Theatre to the Aphrodite Festival in Paphos, and the Armenian State Song Theatre and Yerevan State Pantomime Theatre to Nicosia for the Armenian Gala Concert, with Deputy Minister Clea Hadjistephanou-Papaellina honouring us with her presence.

And in just a few days, on 9 October, we will open a temporary exhibition with the Byzantine Museum, presenting treasures from the History Museum of Armenia. I warmly invite you all to join us.

In tourism, we were especially proud to see Armenia recognised as “Destination of the Year 2026” in Cyprus. We have also seen a sharp increase in tourism exchanges between our two countries, reflecting growing people-to-people contacts and stronger connectivity.

Another area of progress has been decentralized cooperation. Our engagement with Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and the Protaras–Riviera area has opened new possibilities in culture, tourism, youth and local development.

Excellencies, dear friends,

When I look back at this first year, I see old friendships strengthened, new partnerships created and many doors opened for the future.

I would like to sincerely thank all the officials I have had the privilege of working with, and all the Cypriot people I have had the pleasure of meeting, for the warmth, openness and hospitality with which you have welcomed us.

We have also been deeply happy to engage with the Armenian community across Cyprus — with the Armenian Prelacy, Your Eminence and Reverend Fathers, the Nareg Armenian Schools, and the many dedicated members of our community. In this context, I would like to express our delight for the re-election of the Representative of the Armenian Community Vartkes Mahdessian and thank him for his willingness to continue serving the community.

I would also like to sincerely thank the diplomatic community in Cyprus for your friendship, support and cooperation, and for being here with us tonight. Your presence means a great deal to us.

And, of course, a special word of thanks to the team of the Embassy of Armenia in Cyprus — which, I must say, is looking a little less small tonight, with the very special presence of our Honorary Consul and Military Attaché. Thank you all for your professionalism, dedication, patience, creativity and — perhaps most importantly — for always being ready, and for approaching my adventurous ideas with remarkable patience and support.

May the next 35 years bring Armenia peace, stability, prosperity and new opportunities.

And may the friendship between Armenia and Cyprus grow stronger with every passing year.

Կեցցե՜ Հայաստանի Հանրապետությունը:

Ευχαριστώ πολύ.

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