ARMENIA: Armenia's foreign minister describes the day as "written in gold" after France approved a bill making it illegal to deny that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago was genocide

Record ID: 327742

  • Title: ARMENIA: Armenia's foreign minister describes the day as "written in gold" after France approved a bill making it illegal to deny that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago was genocide
  • Date: 25th January 2012
  • Summary: YEREVAN, ARMENIA (JANUARY 23, 2011) (REUTERS) FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING BY NIGHT NATIONAL FLAG ON FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 9th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Armenia, Armenia
  • Country: Armenia
  • Topics: International Relations,History,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC2D0SOG9523P7RBZCGOPAZ5O
  • Story Text: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Monday (January 23) welcomed the news that the French Senate had passed a law banning denial of the Armenia genocide.
    "This day will be written in gold not only in the history of friendship between the Armenian and French peoples, but also in the annals of the history of the protection of human rights worldwide," he said.
    The Armenian Revolutionary Federation's Kiro Manoyan said he hoped the Turkish people would re-evaluate their own history.
    "The most important thing that is happening, by such laws and resolutions in foreign countries, is to help the people of Turkey to get to know their own history and eventually, hopefully recognise the Armenian genocide," he said.
    France approved on Monday a bill making it illegal to deny that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago was genocide, raising the prospect of a major diplomatic rift between two NATO allies.
    Lawmakers in the upper house (Senate) voted 127 to 86 in favour of the draft law outlawing genocide denial after almost six hours of debate. The lower house had backed it in December, prompting Ankara to cancel all economic, political and military meetings with Paris and recall its ambassador for consultations.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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