AZG Armenian Daily #109, 15/06/2005
Armenian Genocide
NEW VIEW ON FACTS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
At the initiative of “Havatk” NGO and Congress of European Armenians
“The Armenian Genocide. View from 21st Century” international
conference was held in Riga, Latvia. Various NGOs, famous political
and cultural figures, as well as clergymen participated in the
conference. The Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire was
introduced by means of many documentary materials, including photos,
memoirs or the survivors. Spartak Ter-Avetisian, founder of Riga’s
St. Gregory the Illuminator church held the opening speech at the
conference. David Gaunt, Swedish historian, genocide researcher, and
Daniel Muller, German historian, documentary facts of the archives that
had been studied in the archives of Europe and Turkey. Daniel Muller
stated that the number of Armenians had been constantly decreasing
since 18th century in Nakhijevan and Karabakh. Professor Andris
Prieden, clergyman at Latvia’s Catholic Church, touched upon the
historic relations between the Armenian and the Catholic Churches and
represented the position of Vatican concerning the Armenian Genocide
adopted in 2000. The participants of the conference condemned the
policy of Turkey and called on the Armenian people never to stop
their struggle for the truth.
They showed “Where the Humanity Was Saved” documentary film shot by
the members of the international expedition that climbed the Mount
Ararat and set the Armenian flag and khachkar (cross stone) there.
By the sponsorship of the Armenian Congress of Europe “Armenian
Architectural Monuments in South Caucasus and Near East” exhibition
is being held in a number of cities.
By Ruzan Poghosian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress