Interfax, Russia
April 24 2009

Genocide recognition not a pre-condition for stabilization – Sargsian

YEREVAN April 24

The process of international recognition of the Armenian genocide is
not aimed at the Turkish people, Armenian President Serzh Sargsian
said in his message on the occasion of the day of commemorating the
victims of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

"We have repeatedly stated that the process of international
recognition of the Armenian genocide is not aimed against the Turkish
people. The recognition by Turkey of the Armenian genocide is not a
pre- condition for restoring our bilateral relations," the president
said.

On April 24 Armenian is mourning the victims of the 1915 genocide of
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. According to some estimates, over 1.5
million Armenians were killed in the Ottoman Empire in 1915. The
genocide was recognized by a number of countries but is denied by
Turkey.

Last Thursday the Armenian and Turkish ministers held a meeting
mediated by Switzerland, following which they made a joint statement
on stabilizing the relations between Yerevan and Ankara and on the
approval of a "road map." kk