YEREVAN.- The adoption of the bill criminalizing genocide denials, including the Armenian Genocide, by the French Senate is important not only for Armenian-French relations but also for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Armenian deputy parliament speaker Eduard Sharmazanov said during a press conference on Tuesday.

“France showed its loyalty to human values and human rights and will thus present an example for other countries to realize that denying the genocide is as much a crime as committing it,” the deputy parliament speaker said.

He underscored that adoption of the bill shows that during all these years the Armenian government led by President Serzh Sargsyan conducted a flexible foreign policy and the adoption of the bill by the French Senate is a result of that policy.

“Moreover, we saw that more work towards the recognition of the Armenian Genocide was done recently than in past times. Joint struggle of our all political forces, the nation and the Diaspora must continue until Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide,” Sharmazanov concluded.