October 2, 2007 - 15:25 AMT
Recognition of Armenian Genocide by Bulgaria is an issue of time
Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Bulgaria is an issue of time, the RA Ambassador to Bulgaria, Sergei Manasarian told a news conference in Yerevan.

The draft bill introduced in the Bulgarian parliament was blocked by a Turkish party which serves on the coalition government.

"The Armenian Genocide recognition is a painful issue for Bulgarian society saturated with ethnic Turks. However, the Turkish community never made anti-Armenian statements on April 24. There was once an article in a Turkish-language newspaper. But it did not attract attention," Amb. Manasarian said.

Progress may be expected after the parliamentary and presidential elections in Bulgaria, according to him.

May 12, 2006 the Bulgarian parliament voted down a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

At that time "Attack" nationalist party called on the parliament to proclaim April 24 the day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide victims.

The parliamentarians, however, said that "passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution will lead to tensions in the Bulgaria-Turkey relations and cause a split in the coalition government formed by three parties, including the party of Turkish minority."