PanArmenian News
Dec 3 2004
SLOVAKIAIS THE 16TH COUNTRY TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
The Parliament of Slovakia adopted the “Armenian resolution”
unanimously
On Tuesday the National Assembly of Slovakia passed a resolution
adopting Armenian genocide. According to Ashot Grigoryan – the leader
of Armenian community in Slovakia, the chairman of Slovakian
parliament Pavel Rushovski is going to make an official statement
urging not to allow Turkey’s acceptance to European Union.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian organizations lobbied the “Armenian
resolution” with the aid of deputies from Christian-Democratic party.
As for the government, it has repeatedly appealed to abstain from the
issue because according to the leaders of Slovakian foreign ministry
the resolution might have a negative impact on the relations between
Bratislava and Ankara. Nevertheless, the parliament speaker did not
hinder the consideration of the issue and the decision was made
unanimously. 70 deputies voted for and no one voted against passing
the resolution. It is important to mention that the Slovakian
parliament intends to appeal to parliaments of European countries to
put forward the adoption of Armenian genocide as a necessary
requirement for acceptance of Turkey to European Union.
In Slovakian parliament the “Armenian resolution” was passed much
easier than in other countries. But it doesn’t mean that Ankara has
accepted the inevitable international recognition of Armenian
genocide and doesn’t put any obstacles in the way of its
internationalization. The thing is that Turkey has very few ways to
pressure Bratislava. Slovakia is one of the most “modest” and “non
pretentious” countries of Europe. Little depends on Slovakia and
Slovakia in its turn depends little of others. In the current case it
was difficult for Turkey to find ways to affect the decision making
process in contrast to Canada where many major corporations that had
interests in Turkey were involved in the campaign against passing the
resolution. The Montreal “S & C Lavilan” company received an order to
build a subway in Ankara. “Bombardier” company won the tender for
laying railways in Anatolia. The both mentioned companies actively
lobbied the interests of Turkey in the Canadian parliament. Slovakian
companies do not have any interests in Turkey, so that’s why the
Turks had very little lobby resources in this case.
Slovakia became the 16th country to recognize Armenian genocide
together with France, Russia, Italy, Vatican, Switzerland, Cyprus,
Belgium, Greece, Canada Australia, Uruguay, Argentina, Lebanon and
Iran. The Armenian genocide is also recognized by municipal
committees of 36 Italian cities, 26 French cities, two cantons of
Switzerland and the Welsh parliament. More and more achievable
becomes the perspective of recognition of Armenian genocide by the
United States of America. Resolutions have already been passed in 35
states. 167 members from 425 of the House of Representatives and 30
senators have already qualified the events of 1915 as genocide. Even
the US administration often threatens Ankara with recognizing the
genocide. It was just like that last week when the White House hinted
that it will stop hindering the “Armenian resolution” if they go on
telling in Ankara about the genocide as if organized in Iraq by
Americans. On Monday the Turkish foreign minister Abdula Gyul
approved that such talks have really taken place in Turkey. Thus, it
is quite obvious that a very favorable situation is being formed in
Washington for returning the “Armenian resolution” on the congress
agenda. Maybe the United States will become the 17th country,
recognizing Armenian genocide.