Hubert Haenel: French Senate will never pass bill criminalizing Armenian Genocide denialOctober 24, 2008 - 15:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The French Senate "will never adopt the bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide," a prominent leader in the Senate said. In 2006, the French National Assembly adopted the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. The bill was blocked by the Senate, but the vote in the lower house of the parliament dealt a blow to bilateral relations between Turkey and France. "The issue is closed. The Senate will never adopt this law," said Hubert Haenel, president of the Senate's Commission for European Union Affairs when addressing a seminar titled "The Republic in France and Turkey" at Bilgi University in Istanbul. He said the atmosphere between the two countries had changed, implying also that there was a different conjecture that would also make it difficult for the Senate to make a decision that would damage bilateral relations, the Turkish Daily News reports. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Politico: Belarus delivered advanced weapons to Azerbaijan in 2018-2022 Belarus delivered advanced weapons to Armenia’s enemy even though both countries were supposedly allies in a defense pact. Armenia Security Council chief to attend Ukraine peace summit Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan will take part in the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland. Armenian govt. approves ratification of EAEU-Iran free trade deal At a meeting on Friday, June 14, the Armenian government approved the ratification of an EAEU free trade agreement with Iran. Deputy U.S. Secretary of State to arrive in Yerevan Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma will travel to Yerevan, Armenia from June 17-19 to. |