Even 105 years later, the fourth-fifth generations of genocide survivors demand justice with the same determination, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in an interview with Public TV.
“We all, as a united nation, demand justice, we demand recognition. This demonstrates the depth of this crime of genocide, the depth of the damage done to an entire nation, because the denied justice is a very deep wound and damage for an entire nation,” the Foreign Minister said.
“Another message is that 105 years ago the Armenian nation was supposed to be wiped out. Today, confidently demonstrating our civilization, history, our power and capability, we have survived the genocide, we have survived everywhere our compatriots live; we have survived it in our homeland as well by creating our statehood and restoring our independence,” he added
He noted that statehood is a very important instrument for protecting our national identity, and the state and the power of the state are one of the most important and powerful weapons in our hands.
“The use of this powerful tool is a very important defense instrument. A powerful state, a strong state, our inner strength, strengthens our capacity to protect our sovereignty, our national identity and our security. But we also understand that, yes, quite different processes took place in international relations, and are currently taking place, and in that sense, as a member of the international community, as a member of the international family, as a state, taking into consideration our small size, we attach great importance to cooperation. Diplomacy, involvement in international relations, multilateralism, all these are also very important tools for us to ensure and complement our security capabilities,” the Foreign Minister stated.
Mnatsakanyan stated that respecting the dignity of the victims and commemorating the day of remembrance is very important because it is about justice, because the victims have dignity, the victims are the part of the collective identity of the people that has been annihilated.
“If we do not respect the victims, if we deny justice, we strengthen impunity. Impunity means that a new genocide is possible. Non-recognition of the Armenian Genocide is a threat to us in that sense, because impunity presumes the threat of genocide repetition.” he said.