Foreign Minister Nalbandian

YEREVAN (ArmRadio)—“The Armenian authorities have declared on many occasions that the veracity of the Armenian Genocide and the importance of its recognition and condemnation have never been and will never be questioned,” said Armenia’s Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian in an with the Dutch De Volkskrant daily.

Nalbandian used the interview, published on Tuesday, to counter statements made last week by his Turkish counterpart Ahem Davutoglu that commission of historians should deal with the subject. The comments were made when Davutoglu was meeting with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, who endorsed the idea, thus negating a statement made last month in Yerevan by French President Nicolas Sarkozy who urged Turkey “to come to terms with its past.”

“The Turkish Foreign Minister’s statements on establishment of a commission of historians to study the events of 1915 are an attempt to question the fact that France and many other international organizations have recognized the Genocide,” said Nalbandian.

“It is nothing else but the continuation of the dangerous policy of denial. The French President made a clear statement on that matter in Armenia,” added Nalbandian.

Nalbandian also touched on Davutoglu’s assertions that an letter addressed to former president Robert Kocharian by Recep Tayyip Erdogan has remained unanswered. The Armenian foreign minister pointed out that the letter in question was, in fact, answered on April 25, 2005.

“Both the international community and Turkey – perhaps with the exception of a few people as it can be concluded from Ahmet Davutoglu’s statement – are well aware of the contents of that answer,” said Nalbandian, referring to Kocharian’s response who rejected the creation of a commission to study the Armenian Genocide.

[Asbarez: Might it not be time for Armenia to withdraw its signature from the protocols?]