SLOVAKIA IS THE 16TH COUNTRY TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian organizations lobbied the "Armenian resolution" with the aid of deputies from Christian-Democratic party. As for the government, it has repeatedly appealed to abstain from the issue because according to the leaders of Slovakian foreign ministry the resolution might have a negative impact on the relations between Bratislava and Ankara. Nevertheless, the parliament speaker did not hinder the consideration of the issue and the decision was made unanimously. 70 deputies voted for and no one voted against passing the resolution. It is important to mention that the Slovakian parliament intends to appeal to parliaments of European countries to put forward the adoption of Armenian genocide as a necessary requirement for acceptance of Turkey to European Union.

In Slovakian parliament the "Armenian resolution" was passed much easier than in other countries. But it doesn't mean that Ankara has accepted the inevitable international recognition of Armenian genocide and doesn't put any obstacles in the way of its internationalization. The thing is that Turkey has very few ways to pressure Bratislava. Slovakia is one of the most "modest" and "non pretentious" countries of Europe. Little depends on Slovakia and Slovakia in its turn depends little of others. In the current case it was difficult for Turkey to find ways to affect the decision making process in contrast to Canada where many major corporations that had interests in Turkey were involved in the campaign against passing the resolution. The Montreal "S & C Lavilan" company received an order to build a subway in Ankara. "Bombardier" company won the tender for laying railways in Anatolia. The both mentioned companies actively lobbied the interests of Turkey in the Canadian parliament. Slovakian companies do not have any interests in Turkey, so that's why the Turks had very little lobby resources in this case.

Slovakia became the 16th country to recognize Armenian genocide together with France, Russia, Italy, Vatican, Switzerland, Cyprus, Belgium, Greece, Canada Australia, Uruguay, Argentina, Lebanon and Iran. The Armenian genocide is also recognized by municipal committees of 36 Italian cities, 26 French cities, two cantons of Switzerland and the Welsh parliament. More and more achievable becomes the perspective of recognition of Armenian genocide by the United States of America. Resolutions have already been passed in 35 states. 167 members from 425 of the House of Representatives and 30 senators have already qualified the events of 1915 as genocide. Even the US administration often threatens Ankara with recognizing the genocide. It was just like that last week when the White House hinted that it will stop hindering the "Armenian resolution" if they go on telling in Ankara about the genocide as if organized in Iraq by Americans. On Monday the Turkish foreign minister Abdula Gyul approved that such talks have really taken place in Turkey. Thus, it is quite obvious that a very favorable situation is being formed in Washington for returning the "Armenian resolution" on the congress agenda. Maybe the United States will become the 17th country, recognizing Armenian genocide.