Armenian Genocide

Latvia Officially Recognizes the Armenian Genocide

RIGA — Latvia has officially recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide. The Seima (Parliament) voted 58 to 11 with 7 abstentions to adopt a relevant declaration, Armenia’s outgoing Ambassador to Latvia Tigran Mkrtchyan wrote on his Facebook page

The resolution was drafted by the parliament’s foreign affairs committee. It says that the mass killings and deportations of Armenians, which began with the April 1915 mass arrests of Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople, constituted a genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman government. It notes that the European Parliament first recognized the genocide in 1987.

Emphasizing that Latvia condemns all crimes against humanity, the declaration notes that the country sees it as a duty to recognize and remember these crimes in order to prevent their recurrence.

Recognizing that a large number of Armenians were deported to other parts of the empire as a result of the actions of the Ottoman authorities, which resulted in many casualties caused by starvation, atrocities and massacres, the lawmakers condemn the crimes, massacres and forced deportations committed by the Ottoman authorities against the Armenian people.

The declaration respects the memory of all the victims of the Armenian Genocide, pays tribute to all the survivors, affirms that open discussions on historical issues are inextricably linked to the development of a healthy, mature democracy.

The Seima calls on the international community “to assess these historic events, to look to the future we want to build, without violence, intolerance, a future where human rights are respected, where everyone can be free, safe and secure.”

Ambassador Mkrtchyan, hailed the development and thanked Latvian lawmakers for “addressing this issue extremely important for the Armenian people.”

“What was hard to imagine years ago became a reality today,” Mkrtchyan wrote on his Facebook page.

Predictably, the Latvian resolution was condemned by Turkey, which continues to strongly a deny a premeditated government effort to exterminate the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian population. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it is devoid of “any legal basis.”

The vehement Turkish denials are dismissed by most scholars outside Turkey.

The Armenian genocide has also been recognized by the parliaments and/or governments of three dozen other countries, including Latvia’s Baltic neighbor Lithuania as well as the United States, Russia, France, Germany and Italy.

U.S. President Joe Biden used the word “genocide” in his April 24 statement on the 106th anniversary of the World War One-era slaughter of Ottoman Armenians.

MassisPost

Share
Published by
MassisPost

Recent Posts

U.S. State Department Declines to Comment on Reports of Washington’s Proposal for a Road Linking Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan via Armenia

WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. State Department has declined to comment on reports claiming that…

11 hours ago

Khachkar Studios Unveils $100 Million Revival Plan to Reverse Armenian Church Exodus

Across the United States, the Armenian Church has stood as a pillar of identity and…

13 hours ago

Pashinyan and Aliyev Discuss “Various Aspects of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Normalization Agenda”

ABU DHABI  -- On July 10, 2025, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia…

13 hours ago

Prime Minister Pashinyan Meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI  - During his working visit to the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister of…

1 day ago

U.S. Hopes Peace Agreement Between Azerbaijan and Armenia Will Be Reached Soon – Rubio

WASHINGTON, DC -- The United States hopes that a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia…

1 day ago

Armenian and Iranian Defense Ministers Discuss Regional Security Issues

YEREVAN -- On July 9, Armenia’s Minister of Defense, Suren Papikyan, held a telephone conversation…

1 day ago