Syria condemns Ottoman genocide against Armenian people

YEREVAN,(ST)_ Speaker of the People’s Assembly has condemned the Ottoman genocide against Armenian people 100 years ago, stressing that terrorists’ atrocities against Syrian people are genocide crimes.  

Mohammad Jihad al-Lahham asserted that everyone stands by terrorism  perpetrates a crime against humanity, calling on the world to stop supporting terrorism and terrorists , who are being sent to Syria from more than 90 countries to kill the Syrian people.

Speaking before ‘the Social and Political Forum Against Crime of Genocide’ being held in  Armenian’s capital, al-Lahham said that the Syrian people today as the Armenian 100 years ago appeals to the conscience of the world to stop supporting terrorism in Syria and to unify efforts in counterterrorism that poses threat to the whole world.

“The crimes being perpetrated today remind us of ‘the black days’.. The killer is still killing .. The terrorism that hits Syria and Iraq targets the entire spectrum of society and it seeks to displace people and destroy civilization. The terrorists perpetrate crimes against humanity and genocide against Man, history and civilization that was built by the region’s peoples over the past decades,” al-Lahham added.

He affirmed that the Syrian parliamentary delegation’s participation in the commemoration of the Armenian genocide that was perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire is a call for the world to recognize the peoples’ rights   and to respect their cultures and civilizations.

“Crime against any human being must be condemned whomever the perpetrator,” the Speaker stressed, indicating that over  1.5 million Armenians were killed and 1.5 million others were displaced in the genocide perpetrated by Turkey 100 years ago.

Armenian PM meets al-Lahham

Separately, The Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan reiterated his country’s support for Syria in fighting the Takfiri terrorism being practiced by armed terrorist groups and foreign fighters recruited from different countries with support of well-known regional countries.

Abrahamyan added, during his today’s meeting with the Syrian Speaker, that the historic Syrian-Armenian relations develop day after day. “The participation of the Syrian parliamentary delegation in the commemoration of the 100 anniversary of the Armenian genocide reflects deep-rooted relations between the two countries’ peoples.”

He underlined the importance of activating Parliamentary, political and economic relations between Armenia and Syria through exchanging visits.

Abrahamyan invited his Syrian counterpart Wael al-Halqi to visit Armenia in order to expand the economic cooperation between the two countries.

On his part, al-Lahham described the Syrian-Armenian relations as an example, expressing his confidence in the ability of the two countries to expand horizons of cooperation in all fields that would have positive effect on the region and the world.    

Basma Qaddour