Armenian genocide tragedy mustn’t fade out from memory : Chief Editors Club

YEREVAN, November 16. /ARKA/. The genocide tragedy should never fade out from memory of nations and any adequate individual, Zakhar Vinogradov told Novosti Armenia in the interview while visiting Armenian Genocide Museum and Tsitsernakaberd memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan.

Mr. Vinogradov is RIA Novosti CIS and Baltic states department deputy coordinator, as well as the man in charge of the Chief 

editors club of CIS, Baltic states and Georgia. 

The Chief editors club of CIS, Baltic states and Georgia is on visit to Armenia, November 15-17. One of the main purposes of the visit is a meeting with Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. 

The club members laid a wreath to Tsitsernakaberd memorial on Friday. 

Chief editors club of CIS, Baltic States and Georgia was established in 2011 in Astana at the European and Asian media forum.

“I came here, first of all, because it is the colossal human tragedy, which should not be forgotten,” Mr. Vinogradov said.

As to the issue of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, he said the recognition is essential, “and in spite of the fact that it is quite a difficult process, it is moving forward.” 

On her side, an editor-in-chief of Izvestia newspaper in Ukraine Yanina Sokolovskaya said Armenia and Ukraine have the similar and, at the same time, tragic history, as the Ukrainians had also underwent the genocide and repressions.

“It is very important for us to pay tribute to the victims of Genocide,” she said.

Sokolovskaya also said before visiting Tsitsernakaberd and Genocide Museum she had read a lot of publications about the tragedy, particularly, by a famous writer of the Armenian origin Sergey Dovlatov.

Vladimir Skachko, editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Kiev Telegraph,” said such tragedy rather unites than disengages people.

“People come here and they become kinder. In Ukraine we say “there is no somebody else’s tragedy,” he said.

Skachko added the memorial visit made a strong impression on him.

“It is the first time I have visited Armenia. I am impressed by absolutely everything, in good sense,” he said. 

Armenian genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century. Turkey denies the accusation of massacres and the killing of one and a half million Armenians during World War I.

The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries, particularly by Russia, Germany, France, Netherlands, Vatican, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Venezuela, Lebanon, 42 of the U.S. states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of Canada, the Sejm of Poland, lower house of Italian parliament, European Parliament, World Council of Churches. -0-