Azg Daily, Armenia
April 30 2010

PACE CONDEMNS THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

On April 30, at the beginning of the PACE full session, the French
Deputy Francois Claude Mignon, presiding the session, publicized a
statement recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide. The
statement was introduced the previous day by the PACE Armenian
delegation. Mignon informed that the statement was open for signature
and anyone could join it.

The statement was signed by the representatives of more than 15 countries.

The statement mainly reads:

"Considering that this year 2010 marks the 95th anniversary of the
Armenian genocide of 1915 and the fact that the act of recognition of
this genocide contributes to respect for human dignity and constitutes
an act of prevention of crimes against humanity;

Recalling that the express positions of the United Nations, the
European Parliament and Parliaments of the Council of Europe member
states, including Sweden, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands,
Slovakia, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Cyprus, the
Russian Federation, as well as the US House of Representatives and 43
U.S. states, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Canada, Uruguay and Lebanon
demonstrated their unequivocal recognition of the Armenian genocide;

The undersigned, members of the Parliamentary Assembly, call upon all
members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to take
the necessary steps for the recognition of the genocide perpetrated
against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th
century, which will strongly contribute to an eventual similar act of
recognition by the Turkish authorities of this odious crime against
humanity and, as a result, will lead to the normalization of relations
between Armenia and Turkey and thus contribute to regional peace,
security and stability".