Pashinyan assesses Macron’s declaration of April 24 a "national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide" a powerful demonstration of solidarity

Pashinyan assesses Macron’s declaration of April 24 a "national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide" a powerful demonstration of solidarity

17:48, 7 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has commented on the announcement of French President Emmanuel Macron who declared April 24 a "national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide". ARMENPRESS reports  Nikol Pashinyan wrote on his Twitter micro blog, saluting the declaration of the French President.

“Salute the statement of Emmanuel Macron. Powerful manifestation and act of solidarity, determination to protect human rights and prevent mass atrocities”, Pashinyan wrote.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on February 6 that France will make April 24 “a national day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide”, France24 reported.

Armenia and Armenians around the world mark April 24 annually as the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

Speaking to the Armenian community at a dinner organized by the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organisations of France (CCAF), Macron said: “France is, first and foremost, the country that knows how to look history in the face, which was among the first to denounce the killing of the Armenian people, which in 1915 named genocide for what it was, which in 2001 after a long struggle recognised it in law”, according to France24.

France "will in the next weeks make April 24 a national day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide," he added.

Macron also said that he personally in formed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about his decision.

France criminalized denial of the Armenian Genocide in 2016.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan