In cooperation with several Armenian organizations across Europe, notably the Initiative “Munk” Germany and the Armenian Apostolic Church of Belgium, the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) co-organized an Evening of Remembrance and Hope at the Sainte Marie Madeleine Armenian Apostolic Church in Brussels. The event marked the one-year anniversary of the complete ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Party Public Relations Office informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.
For the first time in two millennia, no Armenians remain in Artsakh – their ancestral homeland. The evening brought together Belgian politicians, public figures, journalists, religious leaders, and members of the Armenian community to commemorate the anniversary and the profound cultural and religious loss that has occurred.
The gathering served to raise awareness about the urgent need to protect the endangered Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh as well as the humanitarian tragedy that continues to affect the Armenian nation. The event was honored by the presence of His Eminence, Vrtanes Abrahamyan, Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh, who delivered a firsthand account of the forced displacement of the Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh and the ongoing threat to Artsakh’s cultural and religious heritage, which includes around 5,000 monuments.
The Primate’s speech was followed by musical performances featuring Lorance Anahid Mekhitarian on piano, Vardan Hovhannesyan on the Armenian duduk, and an opera performance by Maria Abajan-Schaber.
