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AGBU Europe Welcomes Sweden's vote on Armenian Genocide

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  • AGBU Europe Welcomes Sweden's vote on Armenian Genocide

    PRESS RELEASE
    AGBU Europe
    Press contact: Anush Nazaryan
    Tel : + 32 2 762 67 97.
    Mobile: + 32 4 87 60 55 82
    Email: [1][email protected]
    Web: [2]www.agbu.org, [3]www.agbueurope.org

    AGBU EUROPE WELCOMES RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY THE
    PARLIAMENT OF SWEDEN

    Brussels, March 12, 2010 - AGBU Europe congratulates the Parliament of
    Sweden for acknowledging the genocides committed against the
    Armenians, Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs and Pontic Greeks during the
    First World War.

    The Parliament of Sweden adopted the resolution by a vote of 131 to
    130 on Thursday 11 March. In response, Turkey withdrew its Ambassador
    and cancelled Prime Minister Erdogan's scheduled visit.

    "Sweden often strives to reconcile effectiveness and ethics in its
    relations with the world. We applaud it for its principled and
    constructive stance on the Genocide. The truth will set us all free."
    said Nicolas Tavitian, of AGBU Europe.

    This vote comes on the heels of another vote, last Thursday (March 4),
    in the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, which also acknowledged
    the Armenian Genocide. The resolution passed in spite of heavy
    pressure from Turkey; the Turkish government recalled their ambassador
    to the United States.

    Opponents to the resolution in the US most often justified their
    stance on the basis of Turkey's strategic importance to the United
    States. They also argue that Turkey may now refuse to open its border
    with Armenia.

    AGBU Europe believes it is a mistake on the part of European countries
    or of the U.S. to yield to the demands of a fellow NATO member, EU
    candidate country and self-declared friend to conceal the
    truth. Turkish society is in the process of discovering the truth
    about their country's past. We are doing them no favour if we oblige
    in their historic taboos precisely when their own society is
    challenging them.

    Turkey signed two protocols with Armenia on October 10, 2009 that were
    intended to lead to the normalization of relations between the two
    countries after a 17-year blockade (1993-2010) of Armenia by
    Turkey. The country then reneged on its commitment and subjected
    ratification of the agreement to further conditions. The process is
    widely considered blocked in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The
    recognition of the Genocide in Sweden and the United States is a
    useful signal to Turkey that it needs to radically rethink its policy
    towards the Republic of Armenia and towards Armenians generally and to
    urgently complete the normalization process.

    AGBU Europe coordinates and develops the Pan-European activities of
    the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) including the promotion
    of important initiatives in areas as diverse as academic research,
    conservation and promotion of heritage, culture, education and
    Armenian language teaching and European policies, training of
    association leaders and children and youth activities. Established in
    1906, AGBU ( [4]www.agbu.org ) is the world's largest non-profit
    Armenian organization and is headquartered in New York City.

    131, rue Stassart, 1050, Brussels, Belgium. T: + 32 27 62 67 97,
    F: + 32 25 02 62 30, E: [email protected], W: agbueurope.org


    References

    1. mailto:[email protected]
    2. http://www.agbu.org/
    3. http://www.agbueurope.org/
    4. http://www.agbu.org/

    This message was sent by: Anush Nazaryan, 131, Stassart street,
    Brussels, Brussels 1050, Belgium
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