On April 23, a memorial service was held at St. Mariam Maghdachevian Catholic Church in Brussels to honor the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The ceremony was attended by Hrach Lagnebib, the Prime Minister of Belgium’s Armenian community, and Michèle de Madag, the Ambassador of Representatives. After the service, the representatives paid their respects at a memorial organized by the “Nairi” youth organization, dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

During the commemoration, Father Hoviv Avetikian, Archbishop Tigran Balaian, and Deputy Prime Minister Hrach Lagnebib delivered speeches. Deputy Prime Minister Balaian praised the Armenian community for their role in remembering the Armenian Genocide, which represents the Belgian society’s commitment to universal values.

Balaian emphasized, “This chapter of history is not just the memory of the Armenian nation, but also humanity’s response to the genocide, paying tribute to the innocent souls who tragically perished during the heinous acts orchestrated by the Ottoman Empire. It is now evident that the horrific events that occurred a century ago still happen in today’s world, such as the ethnic cleansing in the Karabakh region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, where the Armenian population was forcibly displaced through an organized act of genocide.”

Prime Minister Lagnebib expressed gratitude for the proclamation and presented Belgium as an innovative country that officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide. He called for practical steps to be taken to implement the “Never Again” slogan, allowing humanity to distance itself from similar atrocities. As a symbol of everlasting remembrance, a tree was planted after the commemoration.

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