Why does Frank-Walter Steinmeier Avoid the Word “Genocide”?

“We reached a positive moment in NK conflict settlement process,” Frank-Walter Steinmeier, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs,  said at the joint press conference with Edward Nalbandian, RA Foreign Minister.

As a positive moment he considered the fact, that presidential meetings became frequent, efforts of the Co-Chairs have activated to be directed towards elimination of the crisis.

He clarified, that formerly “they didn’t knock at the right door,” moreover, there are expectations both from the Armenian and the Azerbaijani side.

“Ceasefire should be maintained, to be maintained like it used to, Kasprzyk’s office, capabilities should be expanded and agreements should be reached around mechanisms,” Steinmeier said.

To the question why he didn’t pronounce the word “genocide,” as he contributed to adoption of the resolution in the Bundestag, Steinmeier replied, that he assisted to the resolution, that’s why he didn’t use it.

According to him, it should be taken into consideration that such issues don’t lead to use of one word only, the circumstance that 101 years later such a resolution is adopted, and a reflection is made to personal historical experience, is important. He stated that, they think, that Armenia-Turkey relations should be possibly improved. In his words, activities by German Empire should be studied as well.

By Araks Martirosyan