April 24, 2009 - 13:14 AMT
Hranush Hakobyan: April is a month of mourning and rebirth of Armenian nation
April is the month of mourning and rebirth of Armenian nation, said the RA Minister of Diaspora Affairs.

"Today, Armenians across the globe commemorate those killed in the Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the last century," Hranush Hakobyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. "We do believe that justice will triumph and the Armenian Genocide will be recognized by all countries."

Meanwhile, Armenia and Turkey are close to normalization of relations, according to her.

"Armenian President has numerously said that the border should be opened without preconditions," the Minister said.

Today, on April 24, Armenians throughout the globe mark the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Mass arrests of the Armenian intellectual, religious, economic and political elite started in Constantinople on that very day in 1915 what resulted in entire annihilation of a whole pleiad of outstanding Armenian cultural workers. Writers, actors, musicians, teachers, doctors, lawyers, journalists, businessmen, political and religious leaders were detained till the end of May 1915 without being incriminated anything. In the course of several weeks some 800 celebrated Armenians were arrested in Constantinople. By the end of summer there had been few of them left alive. During the period of 1915-1923, 1.5 million of Armenians were killed.