Written declaration No. 440 | Doc. 12232 | 29 April 2010

Recognition of the Armenian genocide

Signatories: Mr Davit HARUTYUNYAN, Armenia, EDG ; Mr Artsruni AGHAJANYAN, Armenia, NR ; Ms Maryvonne BLONDIN, France, SOC ; Mr André BUGNON, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Vannino CHITI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Claire CURTIS-THOMAS, United Kingdom ; Mr Kirtcho DIMITROV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr Frank FAHEY, Ireland, ALDE ; Mr Gianni FARINA, Italy, SOC ; Ms Doris FIALA, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Aristophanes GEORGIOU, Cyprus, UEL ; Ms Angelika GRAF, Germany, SOC ; Mr Serhiy HOLOVATY, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Jean HUSS, Luxembourg, SOC ; Mr Albrecht KONEČNÝ, Austria, SOC ; Mr Harald LEIBRECHT, Germany, ALDE ; Ms Dangutė MIKUTIENĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Hermine NAGHDALYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Mr Petar PETROV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr Viktor PLESKACHEVSKIY, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Andrea RIGONI, Italy, ALDE ; Mr François ROCHEBLOINE, France, EPP/CD ; Mr René ROUQUET, France ; Mr Armen RUSTAMYAN, Armenia, SOC ; Ms Marina SCHUSTER, Germany, ALDE ; Mr David TILSON, Canada ; Ms Naira ZOHRABYAN, Armenia, ALDE

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

Considering that this year 2010 marks the 95th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915 and the fact that the act of recognition of this genocide contributes to respect for human dignity and constitutes an act of prevention of crimes against humanity;

Recalling that the express positions of the United Nations, the European Parliament and Parliaments of the Council of Europe member states, including Sweden, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Cyprus, the Russian Federation, as well as the US House of Representatives and 43 U.S. states, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Canada, Uruguay and Lebanon demonstrated their unequivocal recognition of the Armenian genocide;

The undersigned, members of the Parliamentary Assembly, call upon all members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to take the necessary steps for the recognition of the genocide perpetrated against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century, which will strongly contribute to an eventual similar act of recognition by the Turkish authorities of this odious crime against humanity and, as a result, will lead to the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkey and thus contribute to regional peace, security and stability.