YEREVAN. – Recognition of the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh is even more important than recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, head of the All-Armenian Fund's Toronto branch Mkrtich Mkrtchyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent.

Mkrtich Mkrtchyan himself is the son of a man orphaned as a result of the Genocide, therefore acknowledgment of the Genocide for him is of great importance. But even more important, he believes, is recognition of Artsakh and its establishment as an independent state.

“Genocide is our past, and Artsakh is our future. That is why it is so important for me that the independence of Artsakh be recognized,” he said.

Mkrtich Mkrtchyan added that in Canada, where he lives, all the people reading the news somehow know about the Armenian Genocide.

However, Mkrtchyan says he does not want to see that people know Armenians because of the Genocide. He wants the world to know that Armenians are smart, talented people. The world has to know about independent Armenia, he added.