All peoples have a duty to protect historical memory, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said on Sunday (May 19), Remembrance Day for the Genocide of Pontian Greeks.

In a message on the day, the president said, "Today, a day of commemoration for the genocide of the Greeks of Pontus, we honor the hundreds of thousands of innocent victims who were exterminated or displaced from their ancestral homes 105 years ago, during the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, we recognize the significant contribution of Pontian hellenism to the restoration and development of the Greek state, as it carried to the motherland its dynamism and values. All peoples have an obligation to protect historical memory. In addition, the international community is obliged to recognize and condemn heinous crimes against humanity, in order to prevent such barbaric actions in the future."