‘Recognition of Genocide Could Have Prevented Future Crimes,’ Says President Sarkissian

President Armen Sarkissian said that timely recognition of the Armenian Genocide could have prevented future such crimes. The statement was part of an interview that was published last week in the Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Ahram, which has been reprinted or discussed widely in the Middle East since its publication.

“There are not statutes of limitations for the crime of the Armenian Genocide,” Sarkissian told Al-Ahram.

“We cannot forget the Armenian Genocide and have not been able to reconcile with its consequences. We cannot ignore the suffering of its victims and survivors and we must ensure a safe and dignified future for that generation,” Sarkissian added.

“It is unfortunate that humanity did not learn lessons from the Armenian Genocide,” said the president. “It [the genocide] was forgotten, was not recognized and condemned for a long time. This could have prevented future such crimes in humanity’s history. Thus the world witnessed other genocides after that,” Sarkissian said in the interview.

“It is my deep belief that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not only for us, as Armenians, but first of all it’s a matter of approach toward universal values—a matter of preventing such evil,” said Sarkissian.

“Armenia is guided with this consciousness, setting the prevention of genocides as one of its policy priorities and taking active steps at national and international levels toward this end,” explained the president.