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States should be able to face up to their past — EU on Bundestag’s Armenian genocide vote

Germany’s Bundestag has approved a resolution describing the Ottoman era mass killings of Armenians as genocide

Armenians demonstrate in front of a Turkish consulate in 2015 (archive) AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File

Armenians demonstrate in front of a Turkish consulate in 2015 (archive)

© AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File

BRUSSELS, June 2. /TASS/. Countries should be able to face up to their past through open and sincere debates, a representative of the European Commission (EC) told TASS on Thursday in comments on the German Bundestag’s vote to recognize the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman empire.

"It is extremely important that countries can face up to their past in the spirit of reconciliation through open and sincere debates," he said.

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The European Commission has taken note of the vote in the German parliament, he said.

"This is a national decision by a member state [of the European Union]," the EC representative said.

Armenia welcomes German Bundestag’s resolution

Armenia has welcomed the resolution adopted by Germany’s Bundestag.

"Armenia welcomes the resolution adopted by the Bundestag of Germany on the genocide committed against Armenians and other Christian peoples," Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan said on Thursday.

According to the minister, this resolution is "Germany’s valuable contribution both to the cause of the international recognition and denunciation of the Armenian genocide and the general human struggle for preventing genocide and crimes against humankind."

"The international community has been waiting for 101 years that Turkey will come face to face with its history," Nalbandyan said.

The document adopted today by the German Bundestag is titled: "Memory about the Genocide of Armenians and Other Christian Minorities in the Ottoman Empire 101 Years Ago." The word "genocide" is mentioned four times in the resolution. The vote sparked sharp criticism by the Turkish side.

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