Your Excellency Mr. Ambassador,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia and on my own behalf, I heartily congratulate the colleagues of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the staff of the Embassy and the friendly Dutch people on the occasion of King's Day, the national holiday of the Netherlands.

The Netherlands has historically been the cradle of key concepts of the modern international legal order, the philosophy of sovereign statehood and the rule of law, and the guiding principles of international humanitarian law, and the names of Hugo Grotius and others are well-known beyond legal circles.

Currently, around 40.000 Armenians live in the Netherlands, and they preserve high values of the legal state with their active social, political, and cultural activities. It is gratifying that the more than 30-year-long Armenian-Dutch diplomatic relations were further strengthened with the opening of the Embassy of the Netherlands in our country, which allows ensuring more effective cooperation not only in the field of judiciary, but also in education, high-tech, tourism, agriculture, banking and other fields.

The strong interstate relations and multi-sectoral cooperation between Armenia and the Netherlands best reflect the deep historical roots of the relations between our friendly peoples. Along with the development of diplomatic relations, significant progress was also made to strengthen cooperation in the field of the judiciary. Joint Armenian-Dutch legal initiatives and projects have become frequent. A vivid but not unique example of this is the active and sincere support of the Embassy and the Ambassador himself to the development and implementation of the comprehensive project of institutional reforms initiated by the Constitutional Court.

Dear guests,

It is noteworthy that Armenia and the Netherlands cooperate in the international arena in promoting the genocide prevention agenda. This is evidence of the similar perception of universal values by both countries, which is also an important guarantee for the strengthening of Armenian-Dutch friendship.

King's Day, the national holiday of the Netherlands, is a symbol of national unity and solidarity. A state based on democratic values shall be established and strengthened on this ideological basis. The Netherlands preserves national values, and is the best example of building a society based on high civic consciousness, confronting the challenges of a changing world, and moving forward.

Concluding my speech, I once again convey my congratulations to you on King's Day, extending my wishes for well-being and prosperity to the friendly people of the Netherlands.

Thank you.