London explains the reason for not recognizing the Armenian Genocide - Mediamax.am

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London explains the reason for not recognizing the Armenian Genocide


UK Minister for Europe David Lidington
UK Minister for Europe David Lidington

Photo: http://www.euractiv.com/


Yerevan /Mediamax/. UK Minister for Europe David Lidington stated at the discussions on the Armenian Genocide at the House of Commons that the British Government recognise as genocide only those events found to be so by international courts

“The policy of successive Governments, has not changed since 1988 when this matter was reviewed. We take the view that genocide is not simply an expression of a political judgment. It is now a crime, and the British Government recognise as genocide only those events found to be so by international courts - for example, the holocaust and the massacres in Srebrenica and Rwanda. We do not exercise a political judgment in ascribing the term “genocide” to a set of events, whether in Armenia, the Holodomor in Ukraine or the massacres of the Kurds”, said David Lidington.

 

He said in his speech that at the Armenian Genocide Centennial events due in Yerevan, the UK will be represented by the head of Armenian-British Parliamentary Group John Whittingdale and UK Ambassador to Armenia.  The Minister also noted that the events and commemorative activities, which the Armenian community in the UK will organise on 24 April and over the course of this year, will help to illuminate further that period of history for British people, some of whom may be hearing about it for the first time.

 

At the same time, the British Minister stated that in honouring and reflecting upon the past, it is vital that we look to the future. “The peoples and Governments of Turkey and Armenia need to find a way to face their joint history together and forge a new, more constructive relationship, and part of the role the UK seeks for itself is to support them in finding this path forward. I will not pretend that we from London can provide instant answers, but we are doing what we can practically to foster people-to-people exchanges and links between the two countries to break down stereotypes and barriers. For example, we have just completed a successful exchange of Turkish and Armenian Chevening alumni who visited each other’s countries [Armenia and Turkey] for the first time”, said David Lidington.

 

Labour MP of House of Commons, Stephen Pound, stressed in his turn: “We have the opportunity to do a right thing not only for Armenia and the Armenian nation but the whole humanity. The mankind really needs to recognize what happened in 1915. As long as it is being denied it can be repeated. As long as we say “it didn’t happen”, we as though hear the echo of Adolph Hitler’s horrible words said in 1939 during his invasion to Poland: “Who now remembers the annihilation of Armenians?”, noted the MP.

 

Stephen Pound stressed that it is otiose even to ask the question, “Was there genocide?”, recalling that Armenians were exterminated not only in 1915 but before that as well - in 1894-1896 and 1909 in Adana.

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