April 18, 2008 - 17:49 AMT
Ruse city council recognizes Armenian Genocide
On 17 April, the city council of Ruse, Bulgaria, with 36 votes in favor, 3 against and 5 abstentions passed a resolution acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, reported the European Armenian Federation.

Ruse (175 000 inhabitants) comes as the fourth largest city of Bulgaria to engage upon such a move after Varna (650 000 inhabitants), Plovdiv (380 000 inhabitants) and Burgas (230 000 inhabitants).

While Europe is growing more and more permissive to Turkish denial, the European Armenian Federation warmly commends the citizens of Ruse, the members of their city council as well as the local Armenian community and especially the Armenian National Committee of Bulgaria.

The Federation recalls that a similar resolution adopted in February by the city of Burgas has triggered the freeze of any commercial relations by the neighboring Turkish region of Edirne (Andrinople), and the European trans-boundary program PHARE. This episode gave evidence of the threat represented by Turkey's State denial on the policies of the European Union.

Bulgaria is ruled by a coalition between Socialists and an ethnic party representing the large Turkish community of the country (10%).