The 61st anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel was celebrated yesterday at the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan. Israel's Ambassador to Armenia, Shemi Tsur, said that, "For us Jews this is an important holiday. During this time, we have experienced many achievements in the pursuit of democracy, the sciences, advanced technology and other sectors. All are important because we did not achieve them easily. We have seen many wars and faced many threats during these years. It is due to these achievements that we have built our nation." The Israeli Ambassador noted that the histories of the Jewish and Armenian peoples had much in common and that relations between the two nations in the field of politics and the economy were quite close. "To celebrate the founding of Israel in this atmosphere is most pleasant," Ambassador Tsur said. Also in attendance were Tsolak Momjyan, Armenian's Consular general in Israel, Rima Varzhapetyan, representative of the Jewish community in Yerevan, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan and other invited guests.