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His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, issued a message on the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide commemorated on April 24. The message reads:

“More than a century has passed since the Armenian Genocide was planned and committed by Ottoman Turkey. Our people suffered genocide and were scattered all over the world in their surviving remnants, leaving one and a half million martyrs in their historical homeland and in the deserts of deportation.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the genocide of the Armenian people was defined as the first crime against humanity of the century, with the monstrous manifestations of national annihilation and ethnic enmity.

Today, the pain of the tragedy of the Genocide has overwhelmed the souls of our people, burdened with the heavy losses of the Artsakh war, in a new way.

Before the blessed memory of our holy martyrs, it is our cherished duty to strengthen national unity, to refrain from violence and conflicts in domestic political developments, and to pursue the protection of our rights with a zealous spirit.

The only guarantee of enriching the life of our people with achievements, and withstanding the challenges and threats we face, is a high sense of responsibility for strengthening the state, and the consolidation of national and spiritual values.

With the intercession of our Holy Martyrs, we pray to the Most Merciful Lord that our country will be peaceful and secure, that our people all over the world will unite and build a prosperous and bright future for the sake of the nation and the homeland.”