President of the European People's Party (EPP) Mr. Joseph Daul visited Armenia where he held meetings with Armenian leadership and representatives of the political parties and with the civil society. Mr. Daul also participated in the commemoration events on the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. In an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am, EPP President spoke about the Armenian Genocide, EU-Armenia relations and future of Europe.

The European Parliament has recently adopted a resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide. Earlier Pope Francis called the 1915 events “the first genocide of the 20th century” and drew parallels with the events that take place in the Middle East today. What political instruments can Europe use to prevent and stop the crimes that are being committed today?

The European People’s Party was the first to adopt a resolution on the Armenian genocide on the 3rd of March in the EPP Political Assembly. The EPP worked hard with other political groups in the European Parliament to push the resolution in the EP.

Numerous politicians from my political family such as Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer and Alcide De Gasperi worked on the process of reconciliation immediately after World War II. Thanks to those strong politicians, the steps leading to reconciliation between France and Germany were taken and the Germans recognised the Holocaust. Personally, I am a native of Alsace – the region at the border of France and Germany that particularly suffered the horrors of the World War II. For many families it was a very difficult period after 1945, especially after what happened during the war with Germany. I would like to quote the former Mayor of Strasbourg Pierre Pflimlin who said about the war: “This should not happen again”. Political will is the key driver for reconciliation.

Concerning Turkey, the country does not manage to confront itself with its history. The government of Erdogan is not accused of genocide, it is a matter of the past, and I think Turkey must acknowledge and condemn the genocide.

To come back to your question, I do see what is happening to the Christians in the Middle East, but also to Christians in some African countries. It is a drama. I see also what is happening in North Africa, particularly in Libya, given the recent tragedy of the refugees in the sea. We must combat this. Our party is working on a document about European Foreign Policy and Security and Defence for our Congress in Madrid in October 2015. I think that in the coming years, Europe needs to reinforce its tools and instruments to prevent such tragedies happening on the border of Europe.

Although Armenia has joined Eurasian Economic Union, the leadership of our country shows interest in deepening ties with the European Union. How do you see Armenia’s role for Europe? How is Armenia perceived by EU: as an eastern neighbour, a trade partner, a country carrying European values?

Armenia is already economically represented in Europe; it is our economic partner. With regard to relations between Armenia and Europe, one of the strengths of Armenia is its large diaspora.  I have often stated that Armenia has a great chance today to show itself. Of course, Armenia should have trade relations with Russia, Turkey and Iran, because they are your neighbours. But, as I discussed with President Sargsyan, reforms must be continued in areas such as the rule of law, independent justice and the fight against corruption. Armenia should put in place our European values. If all these conditions are met, meaning a state with a rule of law, an independent justice and no corruption, I am sure that the diaspora will invest a lot in the country, because it is something they want - to return to the country and to be able to make investments. It is also very important for the younger generations, so that they can stay in their country. Politicians of Armenia and the Armenian people themselves must move forward on this issue.

I have personally worked a lot with Armenians, especially in the French politics. The French Armenians are part of Armenia, they protect it, and it seems to me that the debate about Armenia's adopting EU values is only natural. Armenia should work together with Europe.

Mr. Daul, they said on Radio France that there are potential jihadists in France who are ready to fight in Syria. Young people from ghetto. How is France going to act?

These people are under surveillance and followed. The problem is the integration of young people. First of all we must find jobs for the youth, we also need mechanisms for working with religious leaders. Inter-religious dialogue is very important. In Strasbourg, we work with Catholics, Protestants, Jewish communities, Muslims. I think we have not been paying enough attention to this problem of potential jihadists for a long time, convincing ourselves that such a problem does not exist until we got what we have now. The main thing is to work with young people at schools and colleges. To solve this problem, we need to invest more in education and keep on cherishing the values of respect and tolerance.