  French Minister: Turkey must recognise Genocide as a fact of history  December 21, 2011 - 15:53 AMTPanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Genocide is a fact of history and a proposed French law making it illegal to deny this has nothing to do with forthcoming elections, France's Minister for Europe has said. "Today all peoples must be lucid and courageous in looking at their history. It has been nearly 100 years since the Armenian Genocide took place, those responsible are dead, it is simply a matter of recognising a fact of history," Jean Leonetti told Radio Classique. The French parliament is to debate the bill, which would see anyone in France who publicly denies the Genocide facing a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros, on Dec 22 and is expected to approve it. Turkey has piled pressure on France to drop the law ahead of the vote, with President Abdullah Gul and a Turkish delegation to Paris warning its adoption will spark a diplomatic crisis and have economic consequences. Turkish officials have accused authorities of backing the bill to win votes with France's Armenian minority, estimated to number between 300,000 and 500,000 people, ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections next year, The Telegraph reported.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Topics Latest news Viva-MTS: Tech solutions to modernize infrastructure of border village  The border village has been the focus of Viva-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Values since 2015.Ucom's fixed network launched in Artashat To mark this occasion, the company has introduced a special offer exclusively for Artashat residents.“By Your Side”: IDBank's new support program for displaced Artsakh citizens IDBank is launching a long-term social support program for forcibly displaced Artsakh residents.The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. |
