NETHERLANDS MINISTERS UNLIKELY TO ATTEND ARMENIA GENOCIDE CEREMONY
NL Times, the Netherlands
April 22 2015
Posted on Apr 22, 2015 by Janene Van Jaarsveldt
The government will very likely stick to its earlier decision not to
send ministers to the commemoration of the Armenian genocide on Friday.
Minister Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert said this to the Tweede Kamer,
lower house of parliament, NOS reports.
A memorial will be held in the Armenian capital Yerevan. There were
motions to have the Netherlands represented by the king and prime
minister, but these failed. The Netherlands will now be represented
by an ambassador. ChristenUnie faction leader Arie Slob therefore
asked the government to consider sending someone from the cabinet to
attend the commemorations in the Netherlands.
Hennis told the Tweede Kamer that she will share the request with
Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs, but she assumes that the
“government will act as previously decided.” According to Hennis there
will be enough senior officials present at the commemorations in Assen
and Almelo to express a “very appropriate level of compassion”. The
ChristenUnie called this decision disappointing.
On Friday the 100 year anniversary of the start of the Armenian
genocide will be commemorated. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians
were killed by Ottoman forces.
From: Baghdasarian