Audronius Azubalis:
Sooner or later the history knocks at the door of the present

Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian of Armenia and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis. Vilnius, 26 January2012.
Photo: urm.lt

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian paid a working visit to Lithuania on January 26. Within the framework of eth visit Minister Nalbandian had meetings with Lithuania’a Prime Minister Andrius Kubilis, Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis and Vice-Speaker of Sejm Cheslovas Yurshenas.

At a joint press conference with his Lithuanian counterpart Edward Nalbandian expressed gratitude to Lithuania for adoption of the Armenian Genocide act back in 2005.

“The arguments of Turkey do not stand any criticism. They say the bill passed by the French Senate will hinder the process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. However, it’s clear to everyone that it’s only Turkey that prevents that normalization. Turkey says the French law edits history. Unfortunately, the black pages of the tragic history of our nation have already been written, and the only way to turn these pages is the recognition and condemnation of this crime against humanity.

The bill passed by the French Senate is not targeted against any concrete country, the Armenian Foreign Minister said, adding that Turkey’s reaction is an evidence of that country’s state policy of denial.

Referring to the same issue, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister said: “Sooner or later the history knocks at the door of the present, and we have to open it. We have to look the history in the face and assess the reality in an open, transparent and fair way. Without that we’ll never have peace in stable inter-state relations. That is why I think that right are the politicians who say that history must be discussed, while those who say history should be left to historians are wrong. Mistrust in bilateral relations will exist until we square accounts with the past.”

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