PRESS RELEASE
AGBU Europe
Press contact: Anush Nazaryan
Tel : + 32 2 762 67 97.
Mobile: + 32 4 87 60 55 82
Email: [1]anazaryan@agbueurope.org
Web: [2], [3]

AGBU EUROPE WELCOMES RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY THE
PARLIAMENT OF SWEDEN

Brussels, March 12, 2010 – AGBU Europe congratulates the Parliament of
Sweden for acknowledging the genocides committed against the
Armenians, Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs and Pontic Greeks during the
First World War.

The Parliament of Sweden adopted the resolution by a vote of 131 to
130 on Thursday 11 March. In response, Turkey withdrew its Ambassador
and cancelled Prime Minister Erdogan’s scheduled visit.

“Sweden often strives to reconcile effectiveness and ethics in its
relations with the world. We applaud it for its principled and
constructive stance on the Genocide. The truth will set us all free.”
said Nicolas Tavitian, of AGBU Europe.

This vote comes on the heels of another vote, last Thursday (March 4),
in the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, which also acknowledged
the Armenian Genocide. The resolution passed in spite of heavy
pressure from Turkey; the Turkish government recalled their ambassador
to the United States.

Opponents to the resolution in the US most often justified their
stance on the basis of Turkey’s strategic importance to the United
States. They also argue that Turkey may now refuse to open its border
with Armenia.

AGBU Europe believes it is a mistake on the part of European countries
or of the U.S. to yield to the demands of a fellow NATO member, EU
candidate country and self-declared friend to conceal the
truth. Turkish society is in the process of discovering the truth
about their country’s past. We are doing them no favour if we oblige
in their historic taboos precisely when their own society is
challenging them.

Turkey signed two protocols with Armenia on October 10, 2009 that were
intended to lead to the normalization of relations between the two
countries after a 17-year blockade (1993-2010) of Armenia by
Turkey. The country then reneged on its commitment and subjected
ratification of the agreement to further conditions. The process is
widely considered blocked in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The
recognition of the Genocide in Sweden and the United States is a
useful signal to Turkey that it needs to radically rethink its policy
towards the Republic of Armenia and towards Armenians generally and to
urgently complete the normalization process.

AGBU Europe coordinates and develops the Pan-European activities of
the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) including the promotion
of important initiatives in areas as diverse as academic research,
conservation and promotion of heritage, culture, education and
Armenian language teaching and European policies, training of
association leaders and children and youth activities. Established in
1906, AGBU ( [4] ) is the world’s largest non-profit
Armenian organization and is headquartered in New York City.

131, rue Stassart, 1050, Brussels, Belgium. T: + 32 27 62 67 97,
F: + 32 25 02 62 30, E: anazaryan@agbueurope.eu, W: agbueurope.org

References

1. mailto:anazaryan@agbueurope.org
2.
3.
4.

This message was sent by: Anush Nazaryan, 131, Stassart street,
Brussels, Brussels 1050, Belgium