FRANCE WAS TO BE ONE OF FIRST COUNTRIES TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY LAW, JACQUES CHIRAC SAID

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 2 2006

ETCHMIADZIN, OCTOBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. France tries to provide support
to the Nagorno Karabakh settlement within the framework of the Minsk
Group. French President Jacques Chirac declared this at the October
1 meeting with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II in the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin. "One should wish peace and believe in it,"
he mentioned.

Attaching importance to role of France and its President in the process
of peaceful settlement, his Holiness the Patriarch, in his turn,
said that he will continue to make efforts for all such problems and,
in particular, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, to be led to peaceful
settlement with the support and mercy of God.

Greeting the French President in the spiritual center Holy Etchmiadzin,
His Holiness expressed happiness that the 15th anniversary of
Armenia’s independence was marked by the visit of the friendly
country’s President, as well as events of Year of Armenia in France.

"This is a nice evidence of age-old friendship between our peoples.

And in this sacred place we want, for the sake of our people and
church, to express gratitude to you and in your person to the French
humane people for its assistance and support shown towards our
nation and homeland. We remember with special gratitude that France
received representatives of our people after the terrible tragedy of
the Genocide and today thanks to the considerate and kind attitude of
the French authorities they have organized their spiritual-national
life," the Catholicos of All Armenians said. He expressed gratitude
to the French authorities for recognition and condemnation of the
Armenian Genocide, which, according to the Patriarch, was restoration
of justice not only towards the Armenian people, but also towards
the whole mankind.

In his turn, speaking about the Genocide, J.Chirac said: "It was
natural that France was to be one of the first countries to recognize
the Armenian Genocide by law. …I hope that if condemned, such crimes
will not recur in the future."

The French President spoke with satisfaction about economic and
political partnership and relations between the two states mentioning
that he is glad for Armenia’s economic and social development.

J.Chirac expressed confidence that France should have participation
in this issue.

According to the report submitted to Noyan Tapan from the Information
Services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, at the end of the
meeting the French President made notes in the Patriarchate memory
book, then they visited the Cathedral’s museum.