Eduardo Eurnekian hails Sarkozy statements on Genocide November 8, 2011 - 18:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Raoul Wallenberg Foundation Honorary Chairman, Argentina-based businessman Eduardo Eurnekian and the Founder Baruch Tenembaum addressed a letter to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, hailing his statements on the Armenian Genocide. The letter runs as follows, “On behalf of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, a global-reach educational NGO, allow us to express through these brief lines our heartfelt congratulations for the statements you made during your recent visit to Armenia. In Yerevan you clearly expressed that the Armenian Genocide is a historic fact that deserves a bigger than just a personal condemnation and that the period that elapsed from 1915 to 2011 represents enough time for reflection. “The Armenian genocide is a historical reality. Collective denial is even worse than individual denial”, you clearly said while, at the same time, you urged to revisit the history about the killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire. It is also worth underlying here your suggestion that the French Parliament might consider a law making denial of the deaths of Armenians as genocide a crime, similar to the law against Holocaust denial. Moreover, we are glad to inform you about the latest activities of the Wallenberg Foundation regarding its worldwide campaign of awareness and reconciliation vis a vis the Armenian people, its history and its heritage. The board of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation unanimously approved the initiative to pay tribute to the Armenian Christian heroes who helped Jews and others persecuted by the Nazis during WWII. A Memorial, the first of its kind in the world, would be erected in several cities around the globe. The guiding concept that inspires us in the search of everlasting pieces may be expressed using the words of the proverb: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. At the Wallenberg Foundation we do not deal specifically with the Holocaust victims’ chapter, albeit we consider it decisive and unavoidable, but with what we call the luminous side of the Shoah. The memory of the Saviors’ heroic deeds and the values they stood for must become a daily commitment to upholding humanitarian principles and a stance against prejudices, stereotypes and fallacies. Our line of thinking always looks for positive conclusions. We consider that even in the most challenging situations it is worth waving the flag of the values of solidarity and civic courage. In this spirit we strive to educate our children and the generations to come.” Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia Security Council chief traveling to Qatar Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan will travel on a working visit to Qatar. Armenian Foreign Minister regrets “tragic loss” of Iranian counterpart The Armenian Foreign Ministry has expressed shock over the death of the Iranian President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Armenian PM sends condolences to Iran Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a message of condolence to the Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. |