1 / 3

On April 27 the press conference of the NA Deputy Speaker, the Head of the RA NA Delegation to the PACE Hermine Naghdalyan, members of the Delegation Arpine Hovhannisyan and Mher Shahgeldyan was held in the RA National Assembly. During the press conference the speakers presented details about the works of the second part of the PACE Session on April 19-25.

Assessing the results of the session, the NA Deputy Speaker highlighted the fact of voicing about the Genocide once again from the PACE tribune ahead of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, as well as the exhibition organized in Strasbourg and the statement “On the Armenian Genocide Centennial.” She has noted that it is unprecedented as not only the CoE member countries that have always talked about the necessity of struggle against denialism of genocides, but also the countries which have never been active against fighting denialism, have joined. According to Hermine Naghdalyan, the statement has collected more than 170 reapproved and more than 200 signatures still to be reapproved. The deputies who have signed under the text of the statement have been deputies of more than 40 countries. This fact, according to Hermine Naghdalyan, speaks about the recognition of the Genocide and the problem of fighting against its denialism that it is prior on the political agenda of the most of the European countries.

The exhibition entitled "Front Page Coverage in the Wold Press: 100 Years Ago” organized at the initiative of our Delegation to the PACE, which once again voiced and presented the truth about the tragic events of the 20^th century from the distance of hundred years, was also an important event. The PACE President Anne Brasseur, the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium Didier Reynders, the PACE Secretary General W. Sawicki took part in the exhibition.

The NA Deputy Speaker also noted that the RA NA Delegation actively took part in the plenary session, devoting the most part of the speeches to the Armenian Genocide, as well as other important problems existing on the agenda.

The NA Deputy Mher Shahgeldyan has noted that the results of the speeches will be visible. According to him, the speeches were focused on three main themes: Genocide, reforms of the RA political system and the NK issue.

The deputy Arpine Hovhannisyan has informed that the members of the PACE Delegations have not only expressed their attitude to the statement, but also have condemned all the genocides, and among them the Armenian Genocide, as well as they have mentioned the necessity of their recognition. He has also stated that the PACE delegates have received the forget-me-not, the symbol of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, from the Armenian Delegation, and its meaning was presented to them.

The speakers answered the journalists’ questions.