Norway: fate of Armenians can't be political issue todayMarch 16, 2010 - 15:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - There is no doubt that the Armenians were victims of massive atrocities in 1915, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The Norwegian authorities have not taken a position on whether the atrocities can be characterized as genocide in accordance with current criteria. Nor do we believe there are legal grounds for doing so. In our view, this tragedy is an important topic in historical terms, but should not be a legal or political issue today,” the Ministry said. It said the concept of genocide was defined in international treaties to which Norway is party but emphasized that the rules contained in the treaties “do not apply retroactively.” It also announced its backing for talks between Turkey and Armenia to normalize their relations and called for the ratification of protocols signed by the two countries in October to happen as soon as possible, Today’s Zaman 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 | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |