ArmInfo.Armenians, as people who survived the horror of genocide, feel a moral obligation to voice the importance of preventing new genocides, crimes against humanity and taking steps in this direction. On October 19, during his speech at the fourth Assembly of Armenians of Europe, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated.
He recalled that one of the latest initiatives of Armenia was the adoption in September 2015 of the UN resolution on proclaiming December 9 an International Day in memory of the victims of the crime of genocide, honoring their dignity and preventing this crime. According to him, efforts in this direction will be continued. Nalbandian reminded that next year 70 years would pass since the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. "Unfortunately, 70 years later, the world has not remained aloof from this evil. The terrorist acts against religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East demonstrate the relevance of the Convention. Armenia is one of the first to condemn these acts of terrorist groups. Unfortunately, the Syrian catastrophe bypassed our compatriots who suffer hardships together with the Syrian people and other national and religious minorities. The Syrian crisis once again demonstrated that Armenians with communities s in all corners of the world, often at the center of various global challenges. Armenia in international cooperation takes full account of this fact, including prevention efforts, protection of ethnic and religious minorities, refugees and migrants, participating in peacekeeping missions, contributing to the fight with terrorism, "Nalbandian said.
In his speech, the Armenian Minister also recalled that one of the first resolutions on the recognition of Armenian Genocide was adopted by the European Council in 1987, and in 2015, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Genocide, the European Council reaffirmed its principled position. This became an example for many countries, including the parliaments of Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, which adopted the relevant resolutions, and thus replenished the ranks of countries that recognized the Armenian Genocide. Nalbandian believes that these efforts are important not only in terms of commemoration, but also making a significant contribution to the prevention of new crimes against humanity.