ARF bureau's Hay Dat and political affairs office Director Kiro Manoyan said the French Senate’s rejection of the bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial is not a victory of the Turkish lobby, but a result of the French authorities’ stance.

“The French authorities just do not want to display a completely anti-Turkish attitude and adopt the bill, since they already oppose to Turkey’s accession to the EU,” Manoyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

Manoyan noted that the Armenian community of France currently discusses possible counteractions, including joint support of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s rival in future. According to him, the French authorities now try to please the Armenian community, offering a struggle against those who deny the Genocide under the operating laws.

The French Senate on May 4 did not consider the resolution that if passed would criminalize the denial of the Armenian Genocide in France. With a vote 196 to 74, the senate blocked a formal debate on the issue.