Honorable Deputy Speaker
Distinguished members of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
Dear participants of the conference
Ladies and gentleman

Thank you for this opportunity to speak before such a distinguished audience today. I am pleased to join you in this remembrance of the first genocide of the last century. I am delighted to be first time in this city, which is famous for its beauty, democratic traditions and by its talented and industrious people. I have heard a lot of the members of Armenian Club Civic Association, whose fortunes and progress closely mirrored that of our world-scattered people. Your small community stands out for its dedication, values and principles that are so representative of the Armenian and Czech spirits. And I would like to specially thank Senator Jaromir Stetina for initiating and organizing this conference together with Czech Armenians. I am also honored to be a participant of the conference, which is being held under the auspices of Ex-President Vaclav Havel. This is another indication of this country's adherence to the values and ideals of freedom and justice. It is also a potent message of friendship and sympathy to the Armenian people, and it means a lot to us.

The Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide is a noble and sad occasion for the Armenians throughout the world, as it singularly represents the inglorious and frequent persecution of our people. It is not a coincidence that the date that commemorates the Armenian Genocide is April 24, because it is on that date 91 years ago that the Armenian intellectuals, writers, artists, musicians were rounded up in Constantinople - Istanbul and met their death at the hands of the faceless servants of the Ottoman Government. By beheading the intellectual capacity of the Armenian people, the perpetrators of the Genocide hoped to deprive us of our collective memory and condemn us to eternal oblivion. Conducting an ethnic cleansing of Western Armenia, and devising a vicious Eastward march - Drang Nach Osten of their own - to destroy the nascent First Republic in 1918 and 1920, the genocidal regimes nearly succeeded in exterminating the Armenian race from the face of Earth.

Indeed, it seemed for a while that - quoting Winston Churchill's 1929 book "The World Crisis" - "history will search in vain for the word Armenia." Much as the Biblical Job challenged the notion that "Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?" (Book of Job, Chapter 4, verse 7), so could the Armenians rightly say: yes, we were innocent yet we perished, we were upright but were nearly annihilated.

91 years later, we face an altogether different reality. The Armenian people persevered and overcame this attempt of extermination. Yet the Genocide has left deep scars in the psyche and body of our nation. Our people are scattered all over the world since the Genocide has led to creation of a Diaspora. Millions of Armenians found refuge in foreign lands where they created miracles by their hard work and dedication. While many admire the resilience and vitality of the Armenian Diaspora, we should always remember that the Diaspora of today is descended from men and women who had lived in their ancestral homeland for millennia before they were uprooted and cleansed away.

The words Diaspora and Genocide have become an integral part of the Armenian people's national identity. The two concepts are intertwined, and one is an obvious result and proof of the other. Today's Diaspora cannot exist without upholding and honoring the memory of the fallen martyrs, without fighting for a universal recognition and condemnation of the genocide. It is truly a unifying factor for the Armenians in the Diaspora.

In the absence of an independent and free Armenia, the Diaspora and its institutions have emerged as carriers of the custodianship of the legacy of free Armenia. 15 years ago, the Armenian tricolor was once again raised in Yerevan, symbolizing the rebirth of an independent homeland. People of Armenia received another chance to live freely in their own country. Entering an independent homeland into the big picture is continuing to alter the Armenian national identity, and is requiring of every Armenian a concerted effort to make it home for every Armenian. Armenia's newly recovered independence is not a gift but the only way to consolidate a democratic and civil society based on shared values and the rule of law. The Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora are not simply partners and allies, or two parts of the historical Armenia. The Republic of Armenia is more than a sum of all the parts of the Armenian people. It is the custodian and guardian of the free Armenian spirit, a gravity point for the nation, and a voice for all the Armenians.

The existence of the Republic of Armenia has considerably altered not only the way we Armenians view the Genocide but also the venues for achieving its international recognition. An independent and strong Armenia will never again allow Genocide perpetrated against its people.

One example of this new reality is Nagorno-Karabakh, Artsakh. The Republic of Armenia stood firmly behind the heroic people of Artsakh and prevailed over the forces that were ready to unleash a new wave of massacres. An unprecedented unity in the ranks of the Armenian society allowed us to prevent the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians.

Our historical experiences show that when we, as a nation, were determined and worked together to achieve an important national task, we have always succeeded. We therefore believe that the national task of today is to spare no effort in order to build a stable, democratic, prosperous and secure nation at peace with itself, and at peace with its neighbors, a guiding light and source of pride for all the Armenians. A truly strong and independent Armenia is the best memorial to the martyrs of the Genocide. Their sufferings very much loom on our minds, but we have to build a free Homeland for their descendants.

As a representative of the Armenian Government, I want to stress that the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is today on the policy agenda of our Republic. The Republic of Armenia views the international recognition of Genocide from the point of view of upholding the honor of the fallen martyrs and the duty before the descendants of the victims of the Genocide in Armenia and Diaspora. We are committed to promoting a greater international acceptance and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, viewing it in several contexts, including the international and regional security aspects.

The twentieth century witnessed many massacres, Genocides, and wars, which took lives of millions of people. The Armenian Genocide was the first organized effort in the modern history of the mankind, which was aimed at a total annihilation of a whole nation. It was a sad precursor to the Jewish Holocaust during the World War II, which took lives of more than 6 millions Jewish citizens of Europe. We have witnessed genocidal campaigns in Cambodia and Rwanda. Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, in Darfur, we are again witnessing a world caught up in condemnation, but lacking the political will to name and stop the perpetrators of genocide. It is history repeating itself. In our view, the fact that the Armenian genocide went unpunished was a major impetus for future dictators who didn't think twice before issuing orders for a new massacre. As Hitler has stated, "Who now remembers the Armenian massacres?"

This proves the point that the historians always make: those who forget the past are condemned to re-living it in the future. Although there is a 1948 United Nations convention aimed at prevention of the genocides, we feel that this or any other document cannot be properly enforced unless the previous massacres are exposed and examined. Armenia works very actively with the United Nations and other international fora to achieve a universal condemnation of such acts in any part of the world. Therefore, an international recognition of the Armenian Genocide will serve the dual purpose of exposing the first Genocide of the XX century and better prevention of new Genocides.

Armenia’s renewal of independence was an opportunity to begin a new era in relations with Turkey, but Turkey’s attitude towards the newly independent Armenia was anything but friendly. Despite Armenian Government’s visionary position, Turkey refused to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia, closed the borders with Armenia and maintains an economic blockade of Armenia. Even when Armenia offered the use of its railway network to transport U.S. military’s cargo in the wake of 9/11, Turkey still refused to cooperate. While Turkey is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is charged with mediating the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it has continuously used its diplomatic arsenal to undermine Armenia’s position vis-à-vis Azerbaijan. The reality is that the economic blockades and exclusions targeting any country of the region undermine the economic and security potential of the entire region. As long as the last section of the Iron Curtain, the Turkish-Armenian border, remains closed, this will impede development of the Caucasus region, and will introduce a constant element of instability. We also hope that Turkey, as a responsible member of the OSCE, will honor its own commitments under the Helsinki Final Act and the Istanbul Document for Common and Comprehensive Europe for XXI Century, and will demonstrate adequate political will to help remove obstacles to regional integration in the Caucasus.

In the year 2006, in a world that no longer has empires and colonies, in a world where it is lofty ideals which unite countries and nations in alliances and guide their policies and engagements, it is at the very least disheartening that a modern Turkish government - hailed as a democratic beacon, an example of the victory of universal ideals over sectarian beliefs - can continue to deny the history. Stability and strength of the Armenian-Turkish bilateral cooperation can only be based on the historic rapprochement between the two nations. The modern Turkey strives to join the family of European nations and become a member of the European Union. Therefore, a wider international recognition of the Armenian Genocide raises the standards to which Turkey is aspiring to adhere and will ultimately promote the understanding of the issue in Turkey proper. By saying this we are not opposed to Turkey’s membership to EU. On the contrary, we’d like to see different Turkey become an EU member so that our borders will be open. Turkey's blockade of Armenia and continued refusal to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia is an impediment to the regional stability in the Caucasus. There has been a unilateral closin of the Armenian-Turkish border. There have been no normal exchanges, interactions or relations across our borders - not in Soviet times, and not since our independence. Does Turkey wish to spend the whole of the next century obstinately cementing the memories and reproaches of the past?

When will we move on to creating a new context within which these two neighbors will be able to share a common space, common border, create new experiences and grow to live together without acrimony? Armenia is ready to continue interstate dialogue with the Republic of Turkey and establish diplomatic relations, without any preconditions. Historic justice, reconciliation, and peaceful coexistence are not ephemeral concepts but essential parameters in the rapprochement between the Armenian and Turkish peoples. The twenty-first century has begun, and we hope that the vision of a better future and new thinking will gain hold in our societies.
Denial and rejection have taken deep root in Turkish society. They've been justified by a rhetoric of Armenian treachery, aggression, and territorial ambition. Only acceptance of the historic truth can heal the deep-running discord between the Armenian and Turkish people. In our opinion, recognizing the Armenian Genocide can in no way be viewed as a threat or attack on the Turkish people. On the contrary, I am convinced that accepting the historical fact can only contribute to the health and self-confidence of any nation, including Turkey. To quote from the Gospel according to John (Chapter 8, verse 32), "you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free". Some Turkish writers and academics have begun down that difficult road to introspection and study. Some are doing so publicly and with great transparency. In this context, it is essential that the international community doesn't turn a blind eye, but instead consistently extends its hand, its example, its own history of transcending.
Once free of this historic burden of Genocide denial, Turkey can work in concert with Armenia and other nations to promote peace and understanding in the whole region.

We entered the new century with new hopes and vision of a better future. We are sad that millions of Armenians perished before they could see their dreams of an independent homeland materialize. At the same time, we are confident that we, the descendants and heirs of the martyrs, will find in ourselves the determination and strength to preserve and enhance Armenia's independence. By dedicating ourselves to the national tasks of today, we will make Armenia's re-acquired freedom an eternal reality.

Thank you.