Sarkissian: Recognition of Armenian Genocide necessary for peace

PanARMENIAN.Net - Recent events prove that the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide are necessary to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region, President Armen Sarkissian said in a statement on the 106th anniversary of the tragedy.

"The pain of the immense human and territorial loss suffered by the Armenian people more than one hundred years ago still echoes in our hearts, reminding us that the right of the Armenian people to live peacefully and safely, and develop in their native land was violated: first in the Ottoman Empire, and today in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)," Sarkissian said.

"Unfortunately, in international and regional politics, the Armenian Genocide, and the Armenian Question in general, are often used by some people as a means to achieve different goals."

According to him, the world must realize that the policy of silencing the crime of the Armenian Genocide, leaving it in the past, and especially denying it, has long since exhausted itself; genocide is a crime against humanity, and indifference and impunity give birth to new crimes. Sarkissian said such crimes and their authors should be called by their names; the crime and the perpetrator should be condemned.

"Today, the events prove once again that the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide are necessary to ensure lasting peace and stability in our region," the President said.

"The Armenian Genocide is the result of a policy of xenophobia, the most recent manifestation of which was the Azerbaijani-Turkish war against Artsakh. On the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, while we are still recovering from the severe blow, the aspiration to have a strong, competitive, and reasonable Armenia must be rooted in us. We can and must straighten our backs, stand firm on our own soil, and stay true to ourselves. Violations against our national and moral values, and against our identity are unequivocally unacceptable."

On April 24, 1915, a large group of Armenian intellectuals was rounded up and assassinated in Constantinople by the Ottoman government. Today, on April 24, Armenians worldwide are commemorating the 106th anniversary of the Genocide which continued until 1923. Some three dozen countries, hundreds of local government bodies and international organizations have so far recognized the killings of 1.5 million Armenians as Genocide. Turkey denies to this day.