Slovak parliament chairman: we need not to mourn history, but to remember and respect it
The visiting chairman of the Slovak Parliament Andrej Danko visited today the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan to remember 1.5 million Armenians annihilated by the Ottoman government during and after WW II.
"In today's difficult conditions, when traditions and history suffer, we have to remember the Christian traditions and what happened. Those who do not know the history of Armenia do not know what sacrifices people may make. Smart people should know and understand the history of Armenia," – he said.
"Today we need not to mourn the history, but to remember and respect it. I am very happy that the Slovak parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide. I heard a phrase here that I liked very much- you can forgive, but never forget, "- Danko said, thanking their Armenian colleagues for the invitation and hospitality.
In turn, the speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Galust Sahakyan said that the Armenian Genocide is a crime against humanity, and its recognition and condemnation is very important to prevent such crimes in the future.
"The parliament of Slovakia not only recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide, but also passed a law criminalizing the denial of genocides", - Sahakyan said.
In 2015 Armenia marked the 100 anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the twentieth century. According to Armenian and many other historians, up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed starting in 1915 in a systematic campaign by the government of Turkey. Turkey has been denying it for decades.
The Armenian genocide was recognized by tens of countries. The first was Uruguay that did so in 1965. Other nations are Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, 43 U.S. states.
It was recognized also by the Vatican, the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches and other international organizations. ---0----