Carl Bildt: Riksdag can set repeat voting on Genocide issue

March 25, 2010 - 16:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Swedish Riksdag can set repeat voting on Armenian Genocide resolution, Foreign Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt stated.

Foreign Minister expressed regret over Armenian Genocide resolution passed in Riksdag, characterizing political decision-making on events of 1915 as incorrect policy. Rather, he urged to give more thought to the events of 2015 when Turkey will possibly become full member of EU.

"Swedish parliament can return to discussion of Genocide resolution in 2011. Sweden was always friendly with Turkey. And I hope bilateral relations, which became somewhat strained because of resolution passage, will be normalized in near future," NTV cited Carl Bildt as saying.

On March 11, 2010, Swedish Parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire in 1915 by 131 votes in favor and 130 against.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.