YEREVAN (A.W.)—Academy-Award winning actor and humanitarian George Clooney and legendary Armenian singer Charles Aznavour joined Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian and First Lady Rita Sarkisian in paying their respects to the victims of the Armenian Genocide at the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial on April 24.

They were joined by leading humanitarians, genocide survivors, and honorary guests who had arrived in Yerevan for the inaugural ceremony of the Aurora Prize Award.

Clooney laid flowers at the eternal flame and visited the Armenian Genocide Museum.

The Hollywood actor arrived in Armenia on April 22 to participate in the Aurora Prize Award ceremony, which recognizes individuals and organizations for the exceptional impact their actions have made on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes.

During the Second Global Forum against the Crime of Genocide on April 23, Clooney said that the Armenian Genocide is not just part of Armenian history, that it’s not the pain of a particular country or people, but that it’s part of world history, reported Armradio.

Clooney spoke about genocide recognition, calling it a long struggle. “One cannot deny what has happened,” he said, adding, “When someone is trying to annihilate a whole human race, culture, people, that’s genocide, there can be no other version of it.”

Clooney is a member of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, which also includes Nobel laureates Elie Wiesel, Oscar Arias, Shirin Ebadi, and Leymah Gbowee; former Ireland President Mary Robinson; human rights activist Hina Jilani; former Australian Foreign Minister and International Crisis Group President Emeritus Gareth Evans; and Carnegie Corporation of New York President Vartan Gregorian.