Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Armenia to Germany, Ashot Smbatyan, answered our questions during the press conference with Armenian journalists in Berlin. He said that the Armenian community in Germany is weak because the Armenians who have witnessed the genocide have come to Germany, they have lived under the yoke of the Turkish authorities, then they have seen a small light and have gone to Europe. “Going towards this light, they have left their family and relatives behind in Turkey. In other words, being obedient has hardened in them.”
To the question of what happened when Germany announced that it will recognize the Genocide but it didn’t, the autumn followed summer, the winter followed autumn and it did not recognize, the ambassador replied, “But who has announced that Germany is going to recognize the Armenian Genocide, who? In addition to our press, no one. They were taking days taken from the air.”
Note that in connection with the adoption of the Resolution on the Armenian Genocide on April 24, the Bundestag convened a session and Dr. Lammert used the term genocide, the commemoration ceremony was organized in the Berlin Cathedral, and the President delivered a speech. Hence, to our observation that there is no smoke without fire, there was an announcement in Bundestag and many people were expecting that a recognition will be followed, the ambassador replied, “Not every smoke sparks a fire.”
We clarified whether in other words these allegations were not substantiated, there was no such a sentiment, Ashot Smbatyan replied, “There was a sentiment, the president of Germany for the first time made a statement at this level, the statement of the German Bundestag, there was a press report by the coalition of the ruling parties, all of this had happened. But when our press begins to write exact dates, an April 30, later they wrote that it would be on July 17, where they were taking it from, I do not know. The process is in the Bundestag, in the Foreign Affairs Committee and Human Rights Committee. The Human Rights Committee gave its positive opinion while the Foreign Affairs Committee is still considering.”
The final decision, according to the Ambassador, depends on the German-Turkish relations. Ashot Smbatyan said that the community in German believes that the Constitutional amendments will ensure more diversity of opinions if you pass to a parliamentary system of governance. The visit of the journalists to Germany was organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft and the Yerevan Press Club under the joint program.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
