Armenian Genocide sparks scandal between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Slovakia

PanARMENIAN.Net - According to the Forum of Armenian Associations in Europe (FAAE), a political scandal is flaring up in Azerbaijan and Turkey with regard to Slovakia.

Many Turkish and Azerbaijani media outlets denied in November 2011 the statement of Slovakia’s Supreme Council chairman Stefan Harabin who said Slovakia has been criminalizing the denial of Armenian Genocide since September 2009.

The point is that Harabin had personally finalized the text of the relevant law and submitted it to his country’s parliament during his office as Slovakia’s Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

The media referred to the incorrect statement by Slovakian ambassador to Armenia and Azerbaijan Josef Migaš saying that “the law criminalizing the Armenian Genocide was never put in force in Slovakia and it was not even discussed in the parliament.”

FAAE head Ashot Grigoryan addressed Migaš demanding that the latter should explain his blunder and warned him that this can cause a serious scandal.

However, the ambassador never commented on this. Later, FAAE representatives published an open letter to the ambassador of Slovakia to Armenia and Azerbaijan saying that “necessary moves should be undertaken to prevent the looming political scandal”.