Foreign diplomats commemorate Armenian Genocide, urge recognition

 April 24, 2014 - 16:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The centenary of the Armenian Genocide, to be marked in 2015, gives the countries which did not recognize it so far, an opportunity to do so, French ambassador to Armenia, Henri Reynaud said today, April 24 after paying tribute to 1.5 million Armenians killed by the government of Ottoman Turkey during World War One, ARKA reported.

"The centenary (of the Armenian Genocide) is a watershed event in the history, and it should serve as an occasion for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by those countries that have not done it yet. France calls on these countries to take advantage of this opportunity, “he told reporters.

According to him, the Genocide anniversary is a very significant and emotional event for his country that has an estimated half a million Armenian community.

"Genocide is part of the French history not only because France gave shelter to thousands of Armenian refugees in those years, but also because these people have become French citizens. This was the reason for France to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide in 2001," he said.

“We hope that by the centenary of the Armenian Genocide there will be progress in the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations that would translate into reconciliation process,” he said. According to Russian ambassador Ivan Volynkin, the humankind must always remember the Armenian Genocide and give adequate assessment to the Ottoman Turkey-perpetrated atrocities, Novosti-Armenia said. “The Genocide was a tragedy for the whole humanity, and the memory of it will help prevent such atrocities in future,” he said. “Stability and peace in the region are possible only through dialogue and reconciliation between Ankara and Yerevan,” Polish ambassador to Armenia Zdzislaw Raczynski, told Armenian reporters today after visiting the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, according to ARKA.

"We appreciate President Serzh Sargsyan’s initiative to start a dialogue with Turkey. He displayed political foresight and courage. The dialogue was halted, but we are deeply convinced that its revival is only a matter of time," said Raczynski.

German ambassador Reiner Morell believes the April 23 statement of condolences by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to be the first positive sign in Yerevan-Ankara interactions.

“The countries already have an experience of interaction while developing the rapprochement Protocols, so finding common routes of cooperation might become a possibility,” the envoy said, expressing condolences for the tragedy of Armenian people, Novosti-Armenia said.