February 20, 2002 - 22:37 AMT
ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CALLS ON COMPATRIOTS NOT TO ABHOR JEWISH PEOPLE
Appearing at the meeting with the students of Yerevan State University of Foreign Languages after Bryusov Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian called on the compatriots not to abhor the Jewish people due to Israel's denial of the fact of the Armenian Genocide. "Arminfo" agency reports the head of the foreign department stated that the position of official Tel-Aviv did not reflect the Jewish people's opinion. In his words, many researchers of Jewish origin made contribution to prove the fact of the Armenian Genocide. "At the same time it is offensive to us that the authorities representing the people, which has had such a difficult fate in the affair of recognizing its own genocide, resorted to such a move," - the Minister emphasized. Oskanian said he was sure that the official authorities of Israel would reconsider their position under the pressure of the public. The Minister also noted that Yerevan did not intend to announce Israeli Ambassador to Armenia Rivka Koen "persona non grata." Let us remind that Koen earlier stated at the press conference in Yerevan that it was inadmissible to draw parallels "between the tragedy of the Armenian people" and the Holocaust.