Syrian Parliament Adopts Resolution Recognizing the Armenian Genocide

DAMASCUS — The Syrian parliament voted today to adopt a resolution recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, committed by the government of the Ottoman Empire, Armenpress reported.

The motion was included in the agenda by the Syria-Armenia parliamentary friendship group. The Parliament’s Secretary Rami Saleh was earlier quoted by Ahval News as saying that “the history of the Ottoman Empire is full of massacres of various components of the Armenian, Syrian peoples and others.”

The website quoted the head of the Council’s Arab and Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Committee, MP Boutros Morjana as saying: “There is no doubt that the massacre certainly occurred and there was a genocide of the Armenian, Assyrian and Syriac peoples. It is time to recognize this genocide.”

Syrian Ambassador to Armenia Mohammed Hajj Ibrahim noted the importance of adopting the resolution, saying of Arab countries so far only Lebanon has recognized the Armenian Genocide.  He said by recognizing the Armenian genocide Syria will make its contribution to the prevention of such crimes in the future.

“The heirs of those who committed the Armenian Genocide, are committing the same crime today against the people of Syria,” he said.