Nachdem Ende November 2004 das Parlament der Slowakei einstimmig (!) den Völkermord an den Armeniern „anerkannt“ bzw. verurteilt hat, folgte am 21. Dezember das Parlament der Niederlande. Wir veröffentlichen hiermit die Erklärung unserer Partnerorganisation, der Federation of Armenian Organisations in the Netherlands und ihres 24 April Committee:

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FEDERATION OF ARMENIAN ORGANISATIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS

24 April Committee
Address: Weesperstraat 91 – 2574 VS Den Haag
Tel. 070 4490209
E-mail: april24committee@wanadoo.nl
Website: http://24aprilcomite.ontheweb.nl

Press Release

The Netherlands recognises Armenian Genocide

The Hague, 21 December 2004 – the Armenian Federation announces with satisfaction that today the Dutch Parliament has adopted unanimously a motion concerning the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Armenian community has been insisting at the Dutch Parliament and the government on recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 for many years. Especially last year, in the run-up to and during the Dutch presidency of EU, the 24 April Committee of the Armenian Federation has persistently campaigned to bring the Armenian question under the attention of the Members of Parliament and the Dutch public.

The motion was introduced during the debate on the outcome of the European Summit of last Friday in connection with the start of accession negotiations with Turkey. In that debate  nearly all fractions asked the government about the absence of the Armenian Genocide issue in the Presidency conclusions. This in spite of commitment by among others France and the European Parliament and also by Dutch Foreign Minister Bot himself, who ensured the Dutch Parliament that the Armenian question has always been brought up at the meetings with the Turkish colleagues. The majority of the Parliament Members had asked to pay attention to this point.

In the motion adopted by the Parliament the government is asked “ to bring up the recognition of the Armenian Genocide continuously and expressly in the dialogue with Turkey”.

This motion has been introduced by the Chairman of Christian Union fraction Mr. Rouvoet and supported by all other political parties in the Parliament.