Turkish parliament and the Foreign Ministry sent a committee to France prior to the vote on the bill penalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, scheduled to appear on the French parliament’s agenda on May 4.

According to the Hurriyet Daily News, the committee consists of representatives specializing in foreign politics from political parties in parliament, headed by the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Düzce deputy Yaşar Yakış.

Osman Korutürk, who served as the Turkish Ambassador to France from 2005-2009 when the draft was first brought to the agenda, is part of the committee. He said that the Turkish committee “is conducting meetings in France regarding the bill in order to preserve Turkish-French relations.”

Yakış and Korutürk will be joined by AKP Istanbul deputy Nur Suna Memecan, Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, Ankara deputy Tuğrul Türkeş, and Republican People’s Party, or CHP, deputy leader Gülsün Bilgehan.