050620 - UNDESTAG TEDESCO APROVA UNA RISOLUZIONE SUL GENOCIDIO

UNDESTAG TEDESCO APROVA UNA RISOLUZIONE SUL GENOCIDIO
By Armen Dulian in Prague All factions of the German Bundestag today have approved a resolution regarding the Armenian Genocide.
The word “genocide” is used in the resolution only once. The German Bundestag states that “numerous independent historians, parliaments and international organizations qualified the deportation and extermination of Armenians as genocide.”
In an RFE/RL interview, analyst and journalist Ashot Manucharian, who has lived and worked in Germany for long years, called the document “a statement of cowards.”
“The Germans know well that a genocide was perpetrated, their archives are full of documents reaffirming that,” said Manucharian.
Nevertheless, in his opinion, ‘it is better than nothing’.”
The document calls on the German government to press Turkey to investigate the killings and foster reconciliation.
In its motion, the German parliament said it was "convinced an honest historical review is needed and represents the most important basis for reconciliation.
" The resolution also recommends establishing a commission composed of Turkish, Armenian and foreign historians to study the past events. It is said in the document that the Turkish authorities “oppress attempts to start a debate on this issue inside the country.
”The resolution states that “Germany bears a special responsibility in the matter of reconciling the Armenians and the Turks, because the German Reich once turned a blind eye to the actions of its allies in World War I.” The lawmakers called on the Foreign Ministry of Germany to open its archives related to that period.

V.V