Armenian Ambassador to Canada thanks Canadian parliament for Genocide recognition

April 23, 2010 - 17:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - On April 14, Canadian Parliament hosted a memorial event to mark Armenian Genocide 95th anniversary. The event was attended by members of Canadian parliament, representatives of Armenian organizations of Canada, diplomats accredited to Ottawa.

Representatives of Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic and Quebec Block parties, Canadian Minister of Science and Technology as well as Armenian-Canadian actress Arsinee Khanjian and Genocide studies expert Steven Jacobs spoke during the event.

Upon completion of the event, Armenian Ambassador to Canada thanked Canadian parliament for official recognition of Armenian Genocide and constructive approach to Armenia-Turkey relations issue.

On Aril 24, Armenian Embassy in Ottawa will host a commemorative ceremony for Armenian Genocide victims, RA Foreign Ministry press service reported.

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.