14.07.2024


On July 14, Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary of State of the United States, visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex accompanied by Kristina Kvien, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.

AGMI Director Edita Gzoyan welcomed the guests and guided them through the Genocide Memorial Complex, providing insights into its historical significance.

Mrs. Uzra Zeya paid respects by laying a wreath at the memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Following this, the delegation placed flowers at the Eternal Fire and observed a minute of silence in remembrance of the innocent martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

Mrs. Edita Gzoyan then escorted the guests to the Memory Wall, where special niches contain small containers of soil taken from the graves of prominent 19th and 20th-century public figures, politicians, intellectuals, and missionaries who protested against the massacres and deportations of Armenians by the Turkish government. Mrs. Gzoyan highlighted the pro-Armenian efforts of Henry Morgenthau and Clara Barton, underscoring their roles in raising awareness among the American public about the Armenian massacres in the Ottoman Empire. She also discussed the significance of the United States' recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a tribute to these individuals. Mrs. Gzoyan elaborated on the history of Memory Alley, noting that the first tree was planted in 1997 by U.S. Senator Robert Dole in memory of Armenian-American surgeon Hambar Kelekyan, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide.

During the visit, the guests explored both the permanent and temporary exhibitions at the Armenian Genocide Museum. Mrs. Uzra Zeya left a note in the Memory Book for Honorary Guests. As a gesture of appreciation for the visit, Mrs. Gzoyan presented Mrs. Zeya with books about the Armenian Genocide, including Ara Ketibian’s “Azeri Aggression against Armenians in Transcaucasia (1905-1921): Reports from the U.S. Press.”