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Press releases
23
04, 2011
President Sargsyan received the Chairman of the Sweden-Armenia friendship group at the Swedish Parliament Aneli Enokson
President Serzh Sargsyan received today the Chairman of the Sweden-Armenia friendship group at the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) Aneli Enokson and member of the group Karl Fredrik Malme, who played active role in the adoption of the resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Rikstag.
President Sargsyan stressed the importance of the MP’s visit to our country and expressed hope that the Swedish-Armenian parliamentary friendship group would bring its participation to the development of the bilateral interparliamentary relations.
“On behalf of our people, I would like to thank you and all your associates for the adoption at the Rikstag of the resolution on the Armenian Genocide. I would also like to reiterate that we attach the utmost importance to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. However, the decision by the Rikstag has two very important peculiarities: First, the decision testifies to the fact that Sweden, which cooperates closely with Turkey, deemed it quite possible to adopt such a decision. This could be an excellent example for other countries. And second, you made the decision in a period of time when we were trying to give a start to our relations with Turkey. All our opponents were arguing that by doing it, we doomed the process of the recognition for the Armenian Genocide, and henceforth no one would recognize the Armenian Genocide. Now it has become apparent to everyone that it is possible to try to normalize relations with Turkey and simultaneously carry on with the process of recognition,” President Sargsyan said.
Serzh Sargsyan noted that here, in Armenia we would be happy to host more often members of the Sweden-Armenia friendship group and their colleagues, which would be a good opportunity for them to familiarize with Armenia and the Armenian people and learn first hand about regional problems, since assistance of friends in the resolution of these problems is important.
Swedish parliamentarians underscored that genocide remains genocide under any circumstance and cannot be called anything else.
“We were striving for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide because these efforts were made for the restoration of justice. We worked hard at the Swedish parliament for the recognition and believe that just as Germany asked Jews’ forgiveness over the Holocaust, Turkey too has to accept its guilt and ask for the Armenians’ forgiveness. The road to justice is not an easy one but, Mr. President, on that road you will always be accompanied by friends like Sweden,” members of the Swedish parliament Aneli Enokson and Karl Fredrik Malme assured the President of Armenia.
President Sargsyan stressed the importance of the MP’s visit to our country and expressed hope that the Swedish-Armenian parliamentary friendship group would bring its participation to the development of the bilateral interparliamentary relations.
“On behalf of our people, I would like to thank you and all your associates for the adoption at the Rikstag of the resolution on the Armenian Genocide. I would also like to reiterate that we attach the utmost importance to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. However, the decision by the Rikstag has two very important peculiarities: First, the decision testifies to the fact that Sweden, which cooperates closely with Turkey, deemed it quite possible to adopt such a decision. This could be an excellent example for other countries. And second, you made the decision in a period of time when we were trying to give a start to our relations with Turkey. All our opponents were arguing that by doing it, we doomed the process of the recognition for the Armenian Genocide, and henceforth no one would recognize the Armenian Genocide. Now it has become apparent to everyone that it is possible to try to normalize relations with Turkey and simultaneously carry on with the process of recognition,” President Sargsyan said.
Serzh Sargsyan noted that here, in Armenia we would be happy to host more often members of the Sweden-Armenia friendship group and their colleagues, which would be a good opportunity for them to familiarize with Armenia and the Armenian people and learn first hand about regional problems, since assistance of friends in the resolution of these problems is important.
Swedish parliamentarians underscored that genocide remains genocide under any circumstance and cannot be called anything else.
“We were striving for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide because these efforts were made for the restoration of justice. We worked hard at the Swedish parliament for the recognition and believe that just as Germany asked Jews’ forgiveness over the Holocaust, Turkey too has to accept its guilt and ask for the Armenians’ forgiveness. The road to justice is not an easy one but, Mr. President, on that road you will always be accompanied by friends like Sweden,” members of the Swedish parliament Aneli Enokson and Karl Fredrik Malme assured the President of Armenia.