YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. A memorial to Romanian prisoners of war who were taken prisoners in the 1941-45 World War and died in Armenia was unveiled on October 25, in the Kanaker-Zeytun community of Yerevan. The memorial construction was financed by the Romanian government. As Christian Scarlar, representative of Association of Romanian Soldiers Memory, said at the solemn unveiling ceremony, Romanian Army Day is marked on October 25 and it is symbolic that the memorial is unveiled on the very day. In his words, the memorial symbolizes Armenian-Romanian centuries-old friendly contacts. Romanian Deputy Ambassador to Armenia, Gabriel Grecu, said that 140 thousand Romanian soldiers were taken prisoners during the Second World War. They were moved to various countries. The prisoners of war who moved to Armenia lived in camps and took part in construction activities. In his words, according to not precise data, 175 thousand Romanian prisoners of war were buried in Armenia, but only 90 prisoners of war were mentioned in documents. Historian Ara Demirkhanian also emphasized that 943 of prisoners of war brought to Armenia after the Second World War were buried here.

---