On March 21, the official opening ceremony of the RA Embassy in Uruguay was held with the participation of RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Uruguay's Foreign Minister Omar Paganini.
The RA Foreign Minister raised the Armenian flag, after which the national anthems of Armenia and Uruguay were played.
The event was attended by several other high-ranking officials, including the interim vice president of Uruguay, Graciela Bianchi Poli, acting president of the General Assembly and the House of Senators, Ana Olivera, president of the House of Representatives of Uruguay, heads of accredited diplomatic missions in Montevideo, and public and political figures.
Minister Mirzoyan noted in his speech.
"Dear Mr. Minister,
Dear Madam Vice President,
Dear guests,
ladies and gentlemen
It is a great happiness and honor for me to welcome you today in Montevideo, Uruguay, which is already officially in this small territory of the Republic of Armenia. It is a double and triple great honor and happiness for me to raise the flag of my country, the Republic of Armenia, and to officially start the opening of the resident embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.
We must admit with satisfaction that since 1992, when our two countries established diplomatic relations, we have established warm, friendly partnerships and built a high-level political dialogue.
At the same time, it should be noted that the leadership of the two countries clearly understands that it is time to deepen these relations, this partnership, build economic relations and cultural ties, and promote people-to-people ties based on them. This was why a vital link was missing: the resident embassies of the two countries in the two capitals, respectively.
Today, we can proudly note that this gap has been filled. The resident embassy of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay operates in Yerevan, where the flag of Uruguay flies. The resident Embassy of the Republic of Armenia operates in Montevideo, where the state flag of the Republic of Armenia flies.
Relations between our two countries are based on long-term, historical, warm ties between the two peoples. More than a hundred years ago, Uruguay gave shelter to Armenians who escaped from the Armenian Genocide and became a home for those Armenians, for which we genuinely express our gratitude. At the same time, we see that Armenians and their descendants have had all the opportunities to develop and now represent a significant, loyal, prosperous part of Uruguayan society.
Now, I also want to convey my greetings to the Armenian community in Uruguay and express my gratitude to them for being a bridge between the two states and for their very objective testimony. This embassy also came into being at the request and efforts of the Armenian community in Uruguay.
You know that Armenia also went through difficult periods a hundred years ago and today. I want to take advantage of this good opportunity and convey the gratitude of the Armenian people to the people of Uruguay and the Eastern Republic of Uruguay for being by our side in all problematic stages.
We are here today for a perfect occasion. Thank you for joining us and sharing this joy. I congratulate everyone on this.
Thank you":
