Those arguments coming from Turkey, with respect to the French Senate’s passing of the bill that criminalizes the denial of genocides, including the Armenian Genocide, do not withstand any criticism, Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian stated Thursday, during his joint press conference in Vilnius with Lithuanian FM Audronius Azubalis.    

“The Turks say the bill will hamper the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. But everyone knows that it is Turkey who hampers this normalization. Turkey says this law edits history. Sadly, the black pages are already written for a people’s history which has become a tragedy,” Nalbandian said.    

In his words, the aforesaid bill does not refer to any one particular country. “Turkey’s accusations against France, against all those countries which have recognized the Armenian Genocide, and the insulting and provocative statements against its victims—the Armenian people—bespeak the state-level policy of denial. And all this comes to prove the necessity and importance of the law which France has adopted. This decision needs to be supported by other countries, so that new crimes against humanity are disallowed,” Armenia’s FM stressed.   

Also reflecting on this matter, Lithuanian FM Audronius Azubalis specifically said: “History knocks on the doors of the present, sooner or later, and we must open them. We must confront history. That is why I believe those who say ‘history must be left to historians’ are wrong. The disagreements and mistrust in mutual relations will exist unless we settle the scores with history.”       

Edward Nalbandian also expressed his gratitude to Lithuania for recognizing the Armenian Genocide, back in 2005.