ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY: "THE FACT OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS NOT NEGOTIABLE"

APA
March 24 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "The fact of the Armenian Genocide is not negotiable",
said head of Media Relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
Tigran Balayan, commenting on the statement by U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton to establish a "historical commission", APA
reports quoting Novosti Armenia.

"Armenia is not discussed and will not discuss the fact of Genocide",
– said Balayan. To him, in the minutes of the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations, provides for a subcommittee, which will
restore trust between the two countries.

The program of the First channel "Posner" U.S. Secretary of State
said that Armenia and Turkey have agreed on the organization of the
historical commission, which "would deal with all matters relating
to the past."

Armenian Genocide of 1915 is the first genocide of the twentieth
century. Turkey has traditionally rejected the accusations in the
massacre of nearly a half million Armenians during the First World
War and extremely sensitive to criticism from the West to question
the Armenian genocide.

The fact of the Armenian Genocide is recognized by many countries,
particularly Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, the lower house
of parliament in Italy, the majority of U.S. states, parliaments of
Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium, Wales, Swiss National Council, the
House of Commons of the Parliament of Canada and the Sejm of Poland.

Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide is celebrated annually
on April 24.

The foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey, Nalbandian Davutoglu
October 10, 2009 in Zurich have signed a protocol on establishing
diplomatic relations and Protocol for the development of bilateral
relations. Documents must be approved by the parliaments of both
countries, after which provides for opening of Armenian-Turkish
border. At the moment the documents submitted for ratification in
Armenia and in Turkey.

Armenian-Turkish border has been closed since 1993 on the initiative
of official Ankara. The complex relationship between the two countries
were due in particular to support Ankara’s position of Azerbaijan
in the Karabakh issue, as well as an acute reaction to Turkey’s
process of international recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide
in Ottoman Empire.