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On April 22 within the framework of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) the opening of the exhibition titled “The Armenians in the First Pages of the World Press: 100 Years Ago” was held. The collection of the photos presents the reflection of the world press of the beginning of the last century.

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, Heads of delegations of numerous countries: R. Rouquet (France), M. Nicoletti (Italy), R. Walter (United Kingdom), M. Mateu Pi (Andorra), the Chairman of the PACE Monitoring Committee Stefan Schennach, heads of other Committees, political groups, representatives of numerous countries from Greece, Spain, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, Norway and others, from the PACE Staff, Secretariat, European Court of Human Rights, Armenian community in Strasbourg took part in the opening of the exhibition.

The PACE President Anne Brasseur and the Head of the Armenian Delegation to the PACE, the NA Deputy Speaker welcomed the attendees with opening remarks, after which the participants observed the materials of the exhibition, which were provided by the Armenian Genocide Museum. The exhibition was organized on the initiative of the RA NA Delegation and the RA Representation.

In the exhibition from the distance of hundred years the truth about the tragic events of the beginning of the century once again was voiced and presented, which as some people seek to characterize in other words, not using the term genocide, nevertheless, numerous countries and international organizations call the things with their name. Its evidence is also the statement signed by about 190 PACE members which today the RA Delegation has already officially handed to the PACE Office and after being revised in accordance with the requirements of the statute it will be posted in the PACE website.

The Head of the Armenian Delegation to the PACE, the NA Deputy Speaker Hermine Naghdalyan has addressed her gratitude to all the states and colleagues who are next to Armenia and with their presence confirm that they are the apologists of the principles and goals declared by the CoE, but also of their implementation.

We present Hermine Naghdalyan’s full speech below:

“ Dear Madam President,

Honorable Members of the Assembly,

I want to express my deep gratitude to Madam Brasseur, the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly and all those who have contributed to the organization of this exhibition.

Today, we have gathered here, under the PACE roof to open the exhibition – ‘Armenians on the Front Pages of the World Press.’ But I want to believe and assure you that the photos , reflecting Armenians on the front pages of the world press of the last century , will not be an ordinary and serial exhibition. These photos, in reality, have a tragic and explosive story; they represent the history of the tragedy of my nation from the distance of 100 years - sometimes in an obvious manner, sometimes with pretext. This is a tragedy , which puts the world into two parts up to present. We are grateful to those international organizations and countries, who had the courage to name the massacres and deportations of the 1.5mln Armenian s on the territory of the Ottoman Empire , from 1894 to 1923 in the right way . They name these acts as genocide; they condemned and still condemn not only the first genocide committed in the last century, but also the denial of the genocide , which we face during this century. We, the M embers of th e A ssembly, who declared human rights to be the supreme value, have no right to ignore the natural right of nations and people s , their right to life, the forcible violation of which is genocide, including deprivation of the homeland and property, harassment against the identity, let alone the physical destruction.

I am grateful to all my colleagues who are here today, with the D elegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia . Y our presence proves the fact that you are not only mere apologists of the principles and objectives declared by the Council of Europe , but you are also apologists for the realization of these principles and objectives. You defend your views not only by words, but also through certain activities. Of course, I do not think that these photos with 100 years of history will have a revolutionary impact, will change the world view and perceptions of those who treat the history as a tool for their daily interests and objectives, as well as of those who manipulate and change the history adjusting it to their problems. However, I do believe that those who have eyes and the desire to see will see the real history in these photos and will also understand what is missing in them.

We are grateful to all those states who during the most severe days of our tragedy, through their humanitarian foundations, benefactors and governmental authorities, saved the Armenian orphans from death, famine and turning into Turks by becoming a motherland for them. We are grateful to those few Turks and Kurds , who se names are kept or not in the records of history , who , risking their lives , acted against the instructions of their state power and government and lent a helping hand to Armenian people.

The history of the G enocide is a painful chronicle and we all should have enough strength and political will to read its pages. When Hasan Cemal, the grandson of one of the main organizers of the G enocide, Ahmet Cemal, writes and publishes a book entitled “1915. Armenian Genocide,” it gives hope that such exhibition s can be held in Turkey as well. This will be a step towards the recognition of own history which, first of all, need the citizens of Turkey.

Several days ago Pope Francis spoke on the Armenian killings as the first genocide of the 20^th century and urged the international community to recognize it as such. This is an important signal.

More than 190 members of our Assembly also commemorated the Genocide, joining the statement on the Genocide Centennial in written form. We are grateful.

This exhibition reveals that no matter how long time shall pass, we will remember and we will demand.

Crimes committed against humanity cannot be statute-barred.”