YEREVAN: The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has thanked the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, the Honourable Charlot Salwai for becoming the first Pacific leader to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide during a recent trip to Yerevan, Armenia.
In a letter addressed to High Commissioner of Vanuatu in Australia, ANC-AU said: “As representatives of the largest Armenian community in the region, the Armenian National Committee of Australia would like to pass on its sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister the Honourable Charlot Salwai for becoming the first Pacific leader to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.”
During the XVII Summit of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, Prime Minister Salwai attended the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex where he laid a wreath in honour of the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Writing in the Memory Book of the museum, Salwai remarked “In commemoration of the disappeared people of the Armenian Genocide… I express my deep sorrow to the children of the Armenian nation. Let God bless Armenia”.
ANC-AU Executive Director, Haig Kayserian said: “We congratulated the Prime Minister for taking this bold step, as the first among regional leaders, towards rectifying this great historic injustice. It is our hope that other Asia-Pacific nations, including the Australian Government, will follow the precedent set by Vanuatu and acknowledge the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide.”
He added: “It is also noteworthy that due to Salwai’s leadership, Vanuatu became the second Commonwealth country – after Canada – to stand on the side of truth and justice when it comes to the Armenian Genocide.”
Salwai also toured the Memory Wall before laying a wreath at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial and laying flowers at the eternal fire honouring the memory of the 1.5 million martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.