PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA: UNLIKE TURKEY, FRANCE CAN BRAVELY LOOK INTO THE EYES OF ITS OWN HISTORY
arminfo
Tuesday, November 13, 11:31
In its policy towards Turkey Armenia is not guided with the principles
of harming Turkey, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an
interview with Le Figaro Magazine.
In addition, the president said, Armenia is for normalization of
Turkey's relations with France and other European states that will
help Turkey better understand the importance of European values.
France can teach bravery and courage to Turkey, because France,
unlike Turkey, can bravely look into the eyes of its own history,
the president said.
As regards the efforts to pass a law criminalizing the Armenian
Genocide denial, Serzh Sargsyan said: "Genocide denial is continuation
of the crime. Those who try to revise history denying the fact
of Genocide, inherently, share the responsibility for that crime
against humanity." In this light, he praised French President Francois
Hollande's clear stance on the given issue, which he had repeatedly
expressed during his presidential campaign and after election to the
post of the French president. To recall, on July 7 the newly elected
president of France F. Hollande had a meeting with representatives
of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France and
declared that the law criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial was
put on agenda again.
The previous bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial was
drafted in 2011 under ex-president Sarkozy. The bill stipulated one
year in prison and a fine in the amount of 45,000 Euros for anyone who
denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide in the territory of France,
which officially recognized the Armenian genocide on Jan 29 2001.
After the lower house of the parliament passed the bill in Dec 2011,
Turkey suspended military, political and economic cooperation with
Franche. In January 2012 the upper house of the parliament passed the
bill. In Feb 2012 the Constitutional Council of France issued a ruling
that the bill penalizing the denial of genocides is unconstitutional,
arguing that it curbs freedom of speech on February 29.
From: Baghdasarian
arminfo
Tuesday, November 13, 11:31
In its policy towards Turkey Armenia is not guided with the principles
of harming Turkey, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an
interview with Le Figaro Magazine.
In addition, the president said, Armenia is for normalization of
Turkey's relations with France and other European states that will
help Turkey better understand the importance of European values.
France can teach bravery and courage to Turkey, because France,
unlike Turkey, can bravely look into the eyes of its own history,
the president said.
As regards the efforts to pass a law criminalizing the Armenian
Genocide denial, Serzh Sargsyan said: "Genocide denial is continuation
of the crime. Those who try to revise history denying the fact
of Genocide, inherently, share the responsibility for that crime
against humanity." In this light, he praised French President Francois
Hollande's clear stance on the given issue, which he had repeatedly
expressed during his presidential campaign and after election to the
post of the French president. To recall, on July 7 the newly elected
president of France F. Hollande had a meeting with representatives
of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France and
declared that the law criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial was
put on agenda again.
The previous bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial was
drafted in 2011 under ex-president Sarkozy. The bill stipulated one
year in prison and a fine in the amount of 45,000 Euros for anyone who
denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide in the territory of France,
which officially recognized the Armenian genocide on Jan 29 2001.
After the lower house of the parliament passed the bill in Dec 2011,
Turkey suspended military, political and economic cooperation with
Franche. In January 2012 the upper house of the parliament passed the
bill. In Feb 2012 the Constitutional Council of France issued a ruling
that the bill penalizing the denial of genocides is unconstitutional,
arguing that it curbs freedom of speech on February 29.
From: Baghdasarian