YEREVAN, APRIL 25, ARMENPRESS.  An event dedicated to the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took place near the monument “Our victims” in the Republic Square, Strasbourg on April 24. “Armenpress” was informed about this from the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of MFA Armenia. Armenia 's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe Armen Papikyan, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg, other officials, representatives of NGOs and the Armenian community were present at the event, who paid tribute to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.  

In his speech Armen Papikyan particularly referred to Armenia’s century-old struggle against denialism, stating that in the 21st century Armenia has assumed an important role in fighting against genocides and crimes against humanity. The Permanent representative of Armenia to CoE also touched upon the recent aggression of Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh and in that context stated that the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 is now repeated in the Middle East by militant groups and the Azerbaijani forces against the civilians and servicemen of Artsakh.  Armen Papikyan expressed deep sorrow for the fact that the international community does not fully realize the seriousness of the general threat stemming from the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem, considering the state policy of anti-Armenianism and denialism in those countries, and the gradually growing violation of human rights, freedom of speech, European values and other democratic principles.

In his speech Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg Rafik-Elmrini reconfirmed the unconditioned faithfulness to Armenia and the Armenian people, putting a strong emphasis on inadmissibility of the denial of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey, as denialism impedes reconciliation opportunities, engendering new crimes against humanity in different corners of the world.