Statement by Minister Oskanyan on the French National Assembly vote

Regnum, Russia
Oct 13 2006

Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vartan Oskanyan
on the French National Assembly vote

Today’s approval of the bill by the French National Assembly is a
natural continuation of France’s principled and consistent defense of
human and historic rights and values.

This decision is also a natural reaction to the intensive, aggressive
and official denialism of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish state.
They have undertaken a premeditated, planned assault on the truth.

To adopt such a decision is the French Parliament’s sovereign right
and is understandable. What we don’t understand is the Turkish
government’s instigation of extremist public reactions, especially
while Turkey itself has a law that does exactly the same thing and
punishes those who even use the term genocide or venture to discuss
those events.