Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-04-22

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Events mark Armenian genocide

[01] Events mark Armenian genocide

The main speaker at the events in Athens was New Democracy MEP Ioannis Varvitsiotis, who stressed that Turkey's refusal to recognise the genocide of the Armenians was a political issue. He noted that it had recently also reached the United States in the form of a Congress resolution that would define the mass killings of 1.5 million Armenians during World War I as genocide, sparking heated debates as its sponsors try to seek a House vote in the face of opposition from the White House.

Varvitsiotis pointed out that the European Parliament had recognised the genocide in 1987, while at the same time appealing to Turkey to begin negotiations with the Armenian people and was continuing to exert pressure in this direction. He stressed that it was an obligation that Turkey had to cover since it was seeking to join the European Union.

Brief speeches were also made by Deputy Development Minister Anastasios Nerantzis, who represented the Greek government and MP Fotis Kouvelis, the chairman of the Greek Parliament's Greece-Armenia friendship group, who represented the Parliament President Anna Psarouda-Benaki, among others.

Central speaker at the events organised in Thessaloniki was Cypriot MEP and former Cyprus foreign minister Ioannis Cassoulides, who said that MEPs had succeeded in making Ankara's recognition of the Armenian genocide before its EU accession included in reports concerning Turkey.

Caption: Greek MP Sylvana Rapti deposits a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian genocide on Sunday, April 22, 2007. (ANA-MPA - Margarita Kiaou)

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