LAVRENTI BARSEGHIAN: ENGLAND’S, AUSTRIA’S, GERMANY’S ATTITUDE TO ISSUE
OF GENOCIDE RECOGNITION IS MORE IMPORTANT

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN. At present 20 thousand Armenians who
were born before 1915 and experienced the Genocide live in different
countries of the world. At present 9 mln 540 thousand Armenians
representing large economic and political force live in different
countries of the world. Lavrenti Barseghian, Director of RA NAS
Museum-Institute of Armenian Genocide, said during the April 13
meeting at Yerevan Economic University, that the parliaments of many
of these countries recognized the Armenian Genocide owing to the
efforts and activity of Armenians living there. According to Lavrenti
Barseghian, the issue of world recognition of Armenian Genocide was
suppressed for many years. In 1965 Uruguay became the first country
that officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. Today the Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Turkey has been condemned and recognized by
parliaments of 15 countries of the world, 32 of 50 US states, Mayor’s
Offices of 25 cities of France and 36 cities of Italy. Lavrenti
Barseghian is sure that the recognition and condemnation of the
Armenian Genocide by the international community is necessary for not
only Armenian people but for the whole mankind, too, for the purpose
of excluding such crimes in the future. In L.Barseghian’s opinion,
England’s, Austria’s and Germany’s attitude to this issue is more
important for the Armenian people as these 3 countries were
state-participants of the First World War and were, in fact, witnesses
of the Genocide: “The very Germany could have stopped Turkey and not
permitted the crime.” The museum director considers that Germany is an
accomplice in the Armenian Genocide.