YEREVAN—Giro Manoyan, the political affairs director of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), praises the European People’s Party’s (EPP) move to adopt an Armenian Genocide resolution, in the meantime considering the move a serious blow to Turkey’s policy of genocide denial.

 

Speaking to Tert.am, the politician said he finds the document valuable in that it addresses not only the recognition issue but also the Armenian people’s rights and demands for reparation.

“What’s positive is first of all the resolution’s content for which, I think, it is necessary to appreciate the efforts of the three Armenian parties (Republican, Heritage and Rule of Law) affiliated with the EPP family. It is important that a big and influential organization like the EPP adopts a resolution of the kind because, after all, it is not the opinion of a separate party in our country but the position of European parties represented in the European Parliament,” he said.

Manoyan said he hopes that the document would set a good precedent for other governments and institutions.

“I am hopeful the activities will continue; we’ll do all our best to make it contagious for the Socialists and Liberal-Democrats, of which the Armenian Revolutionary Federation is a member,” he added.

Manoyan said the EPP can and must be consistent not to let the chapter close with the resolution’s adoption.

“Such resolutions must be brought to life also in the organizations where the EPP parties have a presence,” he added.

Asked whether the Pan-Armenian Declaration adopted by the Genocide Centennial Commission last month could have in any way influenced the process, Manoyan said he knows that several provisions of the resolution were taken fully from that document. “I am confident that the declaration had its role,” he added.