Reception Marking the 35th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia Held in Geneva

28 September, 2026

On 28 September, a reception marking the 35th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Geneva. The event was attended by the Mayor of Geneva, the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council, senior officials of the Swiss federal, cantonal and municipal authorities, several dozen ambassadors and heads of international organizations, as well as representatives of the Armenian community.

The official part of the event opened with the national anthems of Armenia and Switzerland, performed by mezzo-soprano Julieta Gasparyan. This was followed by remarks by H.E. Hasmik Tolmajian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Swiss Confederation and Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations Office in Geneva.

In her address, Ambassador Tolmajian reflected on the historic significance of the restoration of Armenia’s independence and on the country’s achievements over the past 35 years in the areas of state-building, democratic development and the expansion of international partnerships.

Ambassador Tolmajian highlighted the strong bonds of friendship between Armenia and Switzerland, placing particular emphasis on Geneva’s role in the historical memory of the Armenian people and in Armenia’s engagement with the international community.

The Ambassador also noted that in October of this year, Yerevan will host the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), which is expected to be one of the largest international events ever held in Armenia.

Remarks were also delivered by Mrs. Christina Kitsos, Mayor of Geneva, who underscored the historic significance of Armenia’s independence and the resilience of the Armenian people, noting that through their language, culture and faith, Armenians have preserved their national identity even in the face of the gravest trials, including the Genocide. The Mayor also referred to the exceptional expressions of solidarity shown by Geneva’s political and civic circles during the Armenian Genocide and highlighted the contribution of survivors and their descendants to strengthening the ties between the two countries. She welcomed ongoing efforts aimed at establishing peace in the region, while stressing the importance of preserving Armenia’s unique historical, cultural and religious heritage and addressing outstanding humanitarian issues. Mayor Kitsos concluded her remarks with a recitation of Hovhannes Shiraz’s poem “We Were Peaceful Like Our Mountains”.

In their remarks, both Ambassador Tolmajian and Mayor Kitsos paid special tribute to the memory of Charles Aznavour, highlighting his exceptional contribution to Armenia’s independence, the development of Armenian-Swiss relations and the strengthening of Armenia’s international profile.

As part of the evening’s cultural programme, a string quartet of the Geneva Higher School of Music performed works by Komitas and Aram Khachaturian.

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