Dagens Nyheter , Sweden
March 12 2010

Bildt ‘Deeply Deplores’ Riksdag Resolution

Report on interview with Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt by
Swedish news agency TT on 11 March

[translated from Swedish]

Foreign Minister Carl Bildt "deeply deplores" the decision of the
Riksdag [Swedish parliament] Thursday 11 March to state that genocide
was committed in 1915 against the Armenians among others.

"It is wrong to politicize history in this way and thus it will
compromise Sweden’s potential to work for reconciliation," Carl Bildt
tells TT. [Archive of DN articles about Bildt is available in Swedish
at: [1] ]

According to Bildt, the leading opposition party in Turkey, the
social-democratic CHP [Republican People’s Party], has demanded the
suspension of the reconciliation process following the Riksdag’s
resolution.

"It is consequences of exactly that type that I feared. My fear is
that the enemies of reform in Turkey and the opponents of
normalization in Armenia will take advantage of it."

He does not think Riksdag resolutions should dictate history.

"My position on this question is as clear as that of Secretary
Clinton: this kind of attempt to politicize history runs counter to
the pursuit of reconciliation and peace," Bildt says.

Bildt is of the view that the resolution is the result of a shift of
power in the Red-Green bloc.

"The reason for this is that Mona Sahlin [leader of the main
opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, SDP] lost out at the
SDP congress [October 2009] and that the Left Party [Archive of DN
articles about the Left Party is available in Swedish at:
[2] ] has assumed dominance. It is
no coincidence that it was Hans Linde [Left Party MP] who led the
debate today, while the more heavyweight representatives of the SDP
distanced themselves, sensibly enough, from the whole question," says
Bildt.

Do you think this is a question of genocide?

"I do not wish to take a position in favour of one side or the other
in this debate. I think that compromises the reconciliation process
between Armenia and Turkey."

Turkey and Armenia have decided to set up a historical commission that
will look at this question, Bildt reports.

"I do not think pulling the rug out from under the commission the
countries have agreed on is a wise policy," says Bildt.

On the other hand, he does not believe the resolution will have any
effect on Turkey’s possible membership of the EU.

"We have broad agreement on that in the Riksdag," he says.

[translated from Swedish]