RUSE, FOURTH BULGARIAN CITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

armradio.am
18.04.2008 14:43

Thursday 17 April, Ruse city passed a city council resolution
acknowledging the Armenian Genocide by 36 against 3 and 5
abstentions. Ruse (175 000 inhabitants) is becoming the fourth
large city of Bulgaria to engage upon such a move after Varna (650
000 inhabitants), Plovdiv (380 000 inhabitants) and Burgas (230 000
inhabitants), the European Armenian Federation informed.

While Europe is becoming more and more permissive to Turkish denial,
the European Armenian Federation warmly commends the citizens of
Ruse, the members of their city council as well as the local Armenian
community and especially the Armenian National Committee of Bulgaria.

The Federation recall that a similar resolution adopted in February
by the city of Burgas has triggered the freeze of any commercial
relations by the neighbouring Turkish region of Edirne (Andrinople),
and noteworthy the European trans-boundary program PHARE. This episode
gave evidence of the threat represented by Turkey’s State denial on
the policies of the European Union.

Bulgaria is ruled by a coalition between Socialists and an ethnic
party representing the large Turkish community of the country (10%).