Armenia welcomes Czech parliament's recognition of Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net - The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Czech parliament is a valuable contribution to the prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity, foreign minister Edward Nalbandian said in a statement on Wednesday, April 26.

The Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic—the lower house of the Czech Parliament—unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday condemning the Armenian Genocide and genocides of other religious and national minorities in the Ottoman Empire during WWI.

"Armenia welcomes the Czech Chamber of Deputies' adoption of a resolution, recognizing the Genocide and other crimes against humanity," Nalbandian said.

The resolution was introduced by lawmaker Robin Bönisch who is a member of the Social Democrat Party (CSSD) and the Head of the Czech-Armenian Friendship Group. “I think it was the Czech Republic’s debt to formally recognize the Genocide. And because yesterday it was the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I think it was very symbolic to recognize the Genocide of the Armenians today,” Bönisch said.

Two years earlier, on April 14, 2015, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament unanimously passed a resolution on the occasion of the Armenian Genocide centennial.