Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian praised Kim Kardashian for promoting Armenia on Thursday when he met with the Armenian-American TV star and her family members on the second day of their visit to the country of their ancestors.
Abrahamian also hailed Kardashian’s vocal support for a greater international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire. He noted that her high-profile trip comes on the eve of the 100the anniversary of the slaughter of some 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks, which will be officially marked on April 24.
“Hovik Abrahamian emphasized the fact that just like many Armenians scattered around the world, the Kardashians have not forgotten their roots and are making our country more recognizable with their trip to their historic homeland,” read a statement released by Abrahamian’s office.
“The Kardashians stressed that they will continue to actively fight for international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide and stressed the importance of consolidation of all Armenians around this cause,” it said.
The statement also said that Kardashian and her sister Khloe apologized for not speaking Armenian and pledged to learn the language.
The famous sisters and two other women thought to be their cousins met the Armenian premier after strolling in downtown Yerevan and taking selfies with local fans. They also visited the city’s Victory Park, home to a Second World War memorial, and posed for a photograph in front of Mother Armenia, a giant statue.
“Mother Armenia statue symbolizes peace through strength,” Khloe blogged on her Instagram page afterwards. “It can remind viewers of some of the prominent female figures in Armenian history. Who took up arms to help their husbands in their clashes with Turkish troops and Kurdish irregulars.”
Kim Kardashian called her first-ever trip to Armenia a “journey of a lifetime” after arriving in Yerevan on Wednesday evening together with her husband, rapper Kanye West, and 2-year-old daughter North. “Thank [you] everyone who greeted us,” she wrote on Twitter.
“I can't wait to explore our country and have some yummy food!” the 34-year-old tweeted the following morning.