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SERZH SARGSYAN: ARMENIA COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE OF RECOGNITION AND CONDEMNATION OF ALL GENOCIDES
19:10 24.04.2014
Armenia, Armenian Genocide, Serzh Sargsyan
President Serzh Sargsyan who is the Czech Republic on a working
visit, today took part in a high-level meeting held on the occasion
of the 5th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership. At the meeting,
the President made a statement.
Statement by the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
at the High-level Meeting on the 5th Anniversary of the Eastern
Partnership
Distinguished President Zeman, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset I would like to express my gratitude to President
Zeman and the Czech authorities for organizing this high-level
meeting on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Eastern
Partnership. It was exactly here, in Prague, that our joint journey
called Eastern Partnership was launched five years ago, which expanded
and complemented our cooperation agenda based on shared Pan-European
system of values with the European Union.
Dear friends,
Today I embarked on the road to Prague from the Armenian Genocide
Memorial, where I paid tribute to the memory of the innocent victims
of the Armenian Genocide. On April 24, 1915 in Constantinople hundreds
of Armenian intellectuals - writers, artists, doctors, public figures
- were detained and slaughtered in accordance with a premeditated
criminal plan devised and meticulously implemented by the Ottoman
state structures, and thus had been launched what was designated in
the human history as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Today I would like to enunciate a word of gratitude to those states,
organizations and individuals, who extended their hand to support
us at the times of our national tragedy, recognized and condemned
the Armenian Genocide. Time constraint does not act as a statutory
limitation for the crime of genocide, and with the Armenian Genocide
Centenary ahead I would like to reiterate the importance of the
international community's recognition and condemnation of that
unprecedented crime.
We are committed to the cause of recognition and condemnation of all
genocides around the world, and we have always been actively working
in the international arena for the strengthening of the genocide
prevention cooperation and legal instruments. In the framework
of the United Nations Armenia has initiated and tabled a number of
resolutions aimed at strengthening legal foundations for the struggle
against the recurrence of the crime of genocide.
Turkey that strives for an EU membership continues to avoid its own
past, circumvent responsibility, and for decades on has been falsifying
history by pursuing policy of denial. Moreover, it spares no effort
in order to force by all means upon other nations its denialism.
Today, thousands of Turkish citizens, whose numbers grow from year
to year in spite of persecution and prosecution, repudiate Turkey's
policy of denial and stand by truth. Collating with one's own history
and understanding its consequences are important prerequisites for
reconciliation. We believe that encouraging people to people contacts
is another important prerequisite for reconciliation. Unfortunately,
it is almost impossible since there are artificial impediments,
and the border is closed.
The lack of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and last
closed border of Europe continue to be a vulnerable element of the
Pan-European security. It is paradoxical but nevertheless matter of
fact that the EU membership aspiring Turkey sealed off its border
with a neighboring country, while the borders within European Union
have long become history and free movement is a basic principle.
Dear Colleagues,
When we refer to Pan-European values we first and foremost mean
democracy, protection of human rights and the rule of law. And these
are values that are fundamental to our state-building exercise, and
serve as major guiding vision for further development of our country.
The process of reforms carried out under the Eastern Partnership
tutelage in the preceding five years has significantly consolidated
Armenia's democratic development. Tangible progress has been registered
in the fight against corruption, free and fair elections, ensuring
free economic competition, improvement of transparent functioning
of the state structures, safeguarding independence of judiciary and
development of civil society. By the same token we are fully aware
that we still have a lot to do in order to establish a real democracy
of the European kind.
I consider encouragement of people to people contacts to be pivotal
achievement in the framework of the Eastern Partnership. In this
regard I would like to specify the progress registered in the area
of entry visas, which is being proved by forming new legal framework
for the facilitation of the citizens' contacts and exchanges. The
visa facilitation and readmission agreements are already in force.
Mr. Chairman,
The Ukrainian crisis has demonstrated that lack of understanding of
the root causes of the current situation can call further proceeding
of the Eastern Partnership into question. Armenia joined the Eastern
Partnership with a deep conviction that it is not directed against
any third country. We remain of that same conviction. This initiative
has got all prerequisites to become not a separating wall but a bridge
that connects. It is necessary to find solutions by means of a dialogue
that take into account interests of all regional beneficiaries.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/04/24/serzh-sargsyan-armenia-committed-to-the-cause-of-recognition-and-condemnation-of-all-genocides/
19:10 24.04.2014
Armenia, Armenian Genocide, Serzh Sargsyan
President Serzh Sargsyan who is the Czech Republic on a working
visit, today took part in a high-level meeting held on the occasion
of the 5th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership. At the meeting,
the President made a statement.
Statement by the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
at the High-level Meeting on the 5th Anniversary of the Eastern
Partnership
Distinguished President Zeman, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset I would like to express my gratitude to President
Zeman and the Czech authorities for organizing this high-level
meeting on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Eastern
Partnership. It was exactly here, in Prague, that our joint journey
called Eastern Partnership was launched five years ago, which expanded
and complemented our cooperation agenda based on shared Pan-European
system of values with the European Union.
Dear friends,
Today I embarked on the road to Prague from the Armenian Genocide
Memorial, where I paid tribute to the memory of the innocent victims
of the Armenian Genocide. On April 24, 1915 in Constantinople hundreds
of Armenian intellectuals - writers, artists, doctors, public figures
- were detained and slaughtered in accordance with a premeditated
criminal plan devised and meticulously implemented by the Ottoman
state structures, and thus had been launched what was designated in
the human history as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Today I would like to enunciate a word of gratitude to those states,
organizations and individuals, who extended their hand to support
us at the times of our national tragedy, recognized and condemned
the Armenian Genocide. Time constraint does not act as a statutory
limitation for the crime of genocide, and with the Armenian Genocide
Centenary ahead I would like to reiterate the importance of the
international community's recognition and condemnation of that
unprecedented crime.
We are committed to the cause of recognition and condemnation of all
genocides around the world, and we have always been actively working
in the international arena for the strengthening of the genocide
prevention cooperation and legal instruments. In the framework
of the United Nations Armenia has initiated and tabled a number of
resolutions aimed at strengthening legal foundations for the struggle
against the recurrence of the crime of genocide.
Turkey that strives for an EU membership continues to avoid its own
past, circumvent responsibility, and for decades on has been falsifying
history by pursuing policy of denial. Moreover, it spares no effort
in order to force by all means upon other nations its denialism.
Today, thousands of Turkish citizens, whose numbers grow from year
to year in spite of persecution and prosecution, repudiate Turkey's
policy of denial and stand by truth. Collating with one's own history
and understanding its consequences are important prerequisites for
reconciliation. We believe that encouraging people to people contacts
is another important prerequisite for reconciliation. Unfortunately,
it is almost impossible since there are artificial impediments,
and the border is closed.
The lack of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and last
closed border of Europe continue to be a vulnerable element of the
Pan-European security. It is paradoxical but nevertheless matter of
fact that the EU membership aspiring Turkey sealed off its border
with a neighboring country, while the borders within European Union
have long become history and free movement is a basic principle.
Dear Colleagues,
When we refer to Pan-European values we first and foremost mean
democracy, protection of human rights and the rule of law. And these
are values that are fundamental to our state-building exercise, and
serve as major guiding vision for further development of our country.
The process of reforms carried out under the Eastern Partnership
tutelage in the preceding five years has significantly consolidated
Armenia's democratic development. Tangible progress has been registered
in the fight against corruption, free and fair elections, ensuring
free economic competition, improvement of transparent functioning
of the state structures, safeguarding independence of judiciary and
development of civil society. By the same token we are fully aware
that we still have a lot to do in order to establish a real democracy
of the European kind.
I consider encouragement of people to people contacts to be pivotal
achievement in the framework of the Eastern Partnership. In this
regard I would like to specify the progress registered in the area
of entry visas, which is being proved by forming new legal framework
for the facilitation of the citizens' contacts and exchanges. The
visa facilitation and readmission agreements are already in force.
Mr. Chairman,
The Ukrainian crisis has demonstrated that lack of understanding of
the root causes of the current situation can call further proceeding
of the Eastern Partnership into question. Armenia joined the Eastern
Partnership with a deep conviction that it is not directed against
any third country. We remain of that same conviction. This initiative
has got all prerequisites to become not a separating wall but a bridge
that connects. It is necessary to find solutions by means of a dialogue
that take into account interests of all regional beneficiaries.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/04/24/serzh-sargsyan-armenia-committed-to-the-cause-of-recognition-and-condemnation-of-all-genocides/