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Serzh Sargsyan: Armenia Committed To The Cause Of Recognition And Co

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  • Serzh Sargsyan: Armenia Committed To The Cause Of Recognition And Co

    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/

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