Friday, May 7 2021 10:34

ArmInfo.Yerevan and Ankara reacted to the recognition of the fact of the Armenian Genocide by Latvia.

Thus, the statement released by the Armenian Foreign Ministry notes  that Yerevan welcomes the adoption by the Latvian Saeima of the  resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian  Foreign Ministry expressed the conviction that this is another step  towards universal recognition and condemnation of the Armenian  Genocide.

"The resolution is important not only from the point of view of  restoring historical justice and truth, but also from the point of  view of preventing such crimes in the future. The universal  recognition of the Armenian Genocide is the most important guarantee  of the security of the Armenian people in the region.  We share the  position of the Latvian Parliament that the recognition of such  crimes is designed to build such a future, in which human rights are  respected, and each person can feel free and safe, "the RA MFA  assured.

Meanwhile, the adoption of the relevant document by the Latvian  legislature angered Ankara. The Turkish Foreign Ministry assured that  the decision of the Latvian parliament to recognize the events of  1915 as genocide is "an attempt to rewrite history for political  reasons, an illegal initiative that has no legal basis."

"We reject and strongly condemn this unfortunate and illegal  decision. This attempt contradicts the decisions of the European  Court of Human Rights of 1948, 2013 and 2015, which openly expressed  the controversial nature of the events of 1915, as well as the  requirements of the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of  Genocide and its Punishment. We call on the Latvian parliament to  abandon this "wrong" step, instead of serving the agenda of some  circles that are trying to create hostility out of history, "the  Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

It should be reminded that on May 6 the Latvian parliament recognized  the Armenian Genocide. 58 out of 100 lawmakers of the Saeima voted  for the resolution. The Saeima called on the international community  to assess the events of 1915 in the name of future where human rights  and, above all, the right to life will be respected.