Entire Italy stands with Armenia in commemoration - lawmaker Paolo Formentini on April 24

YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARMENPRESS. Italian lawmaker Paolo Formentini, the author of the bill which recognized the Armenian Genocide at the Italian parliament’s Chamber of Deputies years ago, has extended his support on April 24 to the Armenian nation, noting that his La Lega party and Italy are standing with the Armenian people in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

“April 24th marks the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The entire Italy, the Lega party, are standing with the Armenian people, in order for this tragedy never to be forgotten and denied,’ he said in a video address to ARMENPRESS.

“What happened in 1915 was a premeditated extermination of a nation. Historians are now accepting that to some extent it was used as an example for the Holocaust. Rafael Lemkin even created the word to describe these horrific events by referring to the Mets Yeghern [Armenian Genocide]. To keep the memory of this horrifying bloodshed bright we must continue the struggle to achieve parliaments and governments entirely recognizing the Armenian Genocide to respect the memory of the victims. I am convinced that we must remember and condemn the genocide in order to prevent such horrifying events through recognition,” he said.

The MP also expressed hope that Turkey will also recognize the Armenian Genocide.

“I am deeply convinced that history cannot be erased – this itself is a crime and denial of a historic fact. 105 years on, the Armenian people must see recognition, we owe this to the 1,5 million victims,” he said.

Editing and translating by Stepan Kocharyan