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Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) welcomes French President Francois Hollande’s initiative to criminalize denial of the Armenian Genocide, the spokesman for RPA, vice speaker of the Armenian parliament Edward Sharmazanov told reporters after the sitting  of Executive Body of the RPA yesterday, on January 29.

Nouvelles d'Arménie Magazine earlier reported that on January 28 French President Francois Hollande attended the annual dinner of the Co-ordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF) at l’hôtel du Collectionneur.. Among other attendees were Paris Mayor Ann Hidalgo, legendary French signer, Armenian Ambassador to Switzerland Chales Aznavour, Armenian Ambassador to France Vigen Chitechyan, and famous French politician Patrick Devedjian,

Francois Hollande stated about the importance of resuming debates on a new bill criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial. He entrusted that mission to the former President of the European Court of Human Rights Jean-Paul Costa.” I’ve asked Jean-Paul Costa to search any solid, incontestable route that would protect the memory of the Armenian Genocide,” the French president said.

Sharmazanov reminded reporters that the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide was introduced in Russia’s State Duma as well. 

“Naturally Armenia for its part will continue doing everything possible not only to condemn the Armenian Genocide, but also to condemn Turkey’s policy of denial since we believe that conscious denial is just as dangerous as perpetration of genocide,” Sharmazanov said, adding that in this sense the initiative of France’s president and political forces should be hailed. 

“We need to continue our daily work in two directions: the Karabakh problem and the international recognition of the Armenian genocide as well as the struggle against its denial,” Sharmazanov said.