NO SHIFT IN ARMENIA’S POLICY FOR GENOCIDE RECOGNITION, MF SPOKESMAN SAYS

ArmenPress
Nov 9 2004

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS: A spokesman for Armenian foreign
ministry said Armenia’s policy for international recognition of the
1915 genocide has not changed and remains one of its foreign policy
priorities. His comment came in response to Azeri and Turkish media
reports that Yerevan may be considering a shift in its policy to help
normalization of ties with Turkey. The reports claimed the shift may
be indicated by lack of a regular reference to the genocide in next
year’s draft budget sent to parliament for approval.

The spokesman, Hamlet Gasparian, told Armenpress that the draft budget
has no relation to Armenia’s consistency and decisiveness to continue
the campaign for international recognition of the genocide. (By the
way, no previous budget has ever had a special clause earmarking
such expenditures).

“The international recognition of the Armenian genocide does not refer
to Armenia or Armenians alone, it refers to the entire humanity and
it cannot be placed within a budget or other financial calculations,”
Gasparian said.