YEREVAN, APRIL 17, ARMENPRESS. Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi urges official Ankara to respect the European values. As reports “Armenpress” citing La Stampa, at the course of the meeting with the students in the Georgetown University held within the framework of the visit to the United States, the Italian PM reflected on the process of the EU expansion and the reforms for the next 20 years.

Among other things, Matteo Renzi called on Turkey to respect the European values. “The Pope made a distinct address regarding the events, which took place 100 years ago. In my opinion, the goal is the European integration (this refers to everyone, not Turkey alone) showing respect towards the common values.”

Previously it was reported that in his sermon during the Divine Liturgy dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide offered in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis called the mass killings and massacres of the Armenian people in the Ottoman Turkey in 1915 a Genocide. He said that the slaughter of the Armenians was the first genocide of the 20th century.

Among other things, Pope Francis said the Armenian killings were the first of three "massive and unprecedented" genocides that was followed by the Holocaust and Stalinism. He said others had followed, including in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia.

The Pope welcomed the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I and the Catholicos Patriarch of the House of Cilicia Nerses Petros XIX, who attended the liturgy.

Pope Francis also honored the Armenian community at the start of the Mass by pronouncing a 10th-century Armenian mystic, St. Gregory of Narek, a doctor of the church. Only 35 people have been given the title, which is reserved for those whose writings have greatly served the universal church.