Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA- Minister of Culture Issam Khalil said that those who committed the genocide in Armenia in the early twentieth century and those involved in bloodshed in Syria in the 21st century are one and the same.
During his meeting with Armenian ambassador in Damascus Arshak Poladian on Wednesday, Minister Khalil said it’s no coincidence that the Ottomans committed the Armenian genocide in the past and now the “neo-Ottomans” are supporting the terrorism which targets the Syrian people; rather this shows the aggressive nature of the Ottomans that seeks to exterminate civilized, peace-loving people.
He also pointed out that the Syrian and Armenian people are linked by historical friendship and ties, and both of them suffered Ottoman oppression, saying genocides are always committed by powers that don’t respect human standards or international laws and that carry out agendas of colonialist states aiming at destroying Islamic and Christian cultures in our region.
Khalil underlined the positive role of the Armenian people throughout history and their deep-rooted culture, asserting that the Armenians have the right to never forget the suffering they went through at the hands of Ottomans.
In turn, Ambassador Poladian said that the Armenian people faced the biggest catastrophe in history in an attempt to exterminate them, noting that they have their right and the world must know about what they went through and work so that such atrocities are never repeated in the way they are repeated now by neo-Ottomans in Syria through supporting terrorists and through their attempts to marginalize the Armenian issue.
Ambassador Poladian presented to Minister Khalil an invitation from Armenian Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosyan to attend the international conference for dialogue of civilizations and culture exchange due to be held in July in Armenia.
Qabas / Hazem Sabbagh
