Genocide issue once again a tool for political profit - ANC leader

 March 1, 2012 - 20:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition bloc leader commented on French Constitutional Council’s ruling the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial as unconstitutional.

“Following the adoption of the bill at French Senate, president Serzh Sargsyan and foreign minister Edward Nalbandian were thanking the French leadership and celebrating the victory of Armenian diplomacy.

While the contribution of Armenian diplomacy to the issue remains unclarified, one thing is certain, French parliament adopted the bill to secure the votes of Armenian community at presidential elections, also preventing Turkey’s EU accession,” Levon Ter-Petrossian said at ANC rally.

“Armenian Genocide was once again used as a tool for political profit. Before adopting the Genocide bill, the French Senate should have considered its impact on Yerevan-Ankara ties which are essential in economic development and national security of Armenia,” ANC leader stressed.

As he remarked, “Armenian leadership should have made sure lest the “diplomatic victory” would not yield the same results as those achieved in 1878 in Berlin and in 1920 in Paris, which brought about the annihilation of the whole Western Armenia, with the Republic of Armenia losing half of its lands.”