June 24, 2005 - 09:19 AMT
CRIMEA PARLIAMENT NOT GOING TO REVOKE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
The adoption of the resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide aroused indignation not only in Azerbaijan and Turkey but in Ukraine as well, APA Azeri news agency reported. Yesterday's sitting of the Crimean Supreme Rada was rich will calls to revoke the Armenian Genocide resolution. Parliament Speaker Boris Deich mentioned of expediency of revocation, however the deputies rejected the proposal. Deputy Vladimir Kazanin said the demand on revocation of the Armenian Genocide resolution was caused by pressure exerted by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. In his words the Azeri leader, who arrived in Kiev to participate in Mini Davos Forum on June 17-19, during the meeting with Supreme Rada Chairman Vladimir Litvin that adoption of such a resolution in inadmissible. The deputy also informed that Ilham Aliyev urged V. Litvin to exert pressure on the parliament to revoke the resolution. He also added that the Crimean parliament did not define the event of 1915 as "genocide' and the delicacy manifested by Kiev at present is groundless. V. Kazanin stated that Armenians have lived in Crimea for over 1500 years and play an important role in its history. Leader of the Crimean branch of the Republican party of Ukraine Alexander Gress stated of impossibility of revoking the resolution. "In the course 90 years no parliament in the world has ever cancelled any decision referring to the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide    victims. So why should we do it?" he said. To note, only 13 deputies voted in favor of including the issue of revocation the resolution in the agenda.