Wednesday, February 6 2019 10:25

ArmInfo.French President Emmanuel Macron announced late on Tuesday that April 24 will be marked as the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in the country.   During an annual dinner organized by the Coordinating Council of  Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), Macron said that "in the  coming weeks, the national day of commemoration of the Armenian  genocide will be held on April 24", TASS reports.

According to the President, France "since 1915 has called genocide  what it is: a crime against humanity, against civilization, which in  2001, after a long struggle, was recognized as such by law." In this  regard, Macron noted, "a national day to commemorate the Armenian  Genocide on April 24 will be held in the coming weeks."

"The history of French Armenians is the history of France. And since  the Armenian Genocide is part of our memory, its memory should be  honored in our republic. As you, along with you, I will struggle with  all forms of denial that offends the memory of the departed and  dignity of those alive, "he added.

"Now one head of state, the president of Turkey, does not share ...  the vision of France and our values in this context," said Macron. He  stressed that "President Erdogan is not the whole Turkish people,"  and promised to continue the dialogue with the aim of conveying  historical facts. "And today, at a time when we are holding a forum  of peace, I am telling you quite clearly ... the full responsibility  of the president of the France is to invite the president of Turkey  [to the dialogue]," concluded Macron. On April 24, Armenia annually  commemorates the victims of the Armenian Genocide. On this day in  1915, deportations of representatives of the Armenian intellectuals  from Constantinople (Ottoman Empire) began. The mass deportation and  extermination of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire during  the First World War (1914-1918)  is called Armenian Genocide. France  officially recognized the genocide on January 29, 2001.