YEREVAN.- Paris office of ARF Dashnaktsutyun issued a statement calling on French President Nicolas Sarkozy to condemn French Foreign Minister’s proposal to set up commission to study the Armenian Genocide issues, Nouvelles d`Arménie reports.

Speaking during last week’s press conference in Turkey Minister Alain Juppe called the period of the Armenian Genocide hard both for Armenia and for Turkey expressing readiness of his state to organize and host Armenian-Turkish discussions on the subject.

The statement reads as follows:

“ARF Dashanktsutyun learned of the intention expressed by Alain Juppe to set up a commission of Armenian and Turkish historians in France to study the period in the history regarding the Armenian Genocide.

ARFD is indignant at remarks of the French Foreign Minister, which potentially cast doubt on the reality of the Armenian Genocide. These statements are not acceptable on their own. They bear the seeds of a denial policy. Statements by Alain Juppe significantly minimize words of Nicolas Sarkozy, who called on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The French government can not simultaneously call on Turkey to recognize Armenian Genocide and offer a commission of historians which must decide on the reality of the Armenian Genocide.

This is intolerable contradiction by the French authorities, who apparently decided to play a double game of truth and denial. This impression is further reinforced by the fact that when Nicolas Sarkozy was in Armenia, Claude Gueant was hastily dispatched to Turkey.

We can not bear this duplicity and ask Sarkozy to express open disapproval of the position of Alain Juppe, contrary to President’s statements made in Yerevan. The Armenian community is irritated and looks forward to decisive action by the President of the Republic. Inclusion of the bill criminalizing denial of Armenian Genocide to the Senate’s agenda is urgent. Nicolas Sarkozy promised it in Yerevan, let him keep his promise!”