Photo: Phil Nijhuis/HH
Dutch Minister of Foreign affairs Sigrid Kaag has said she respects and appreciates the Tweede Kamer’s (House of Representatives) “enthusiasm” to recognize the Armenian genocide, but will not comment on the government’s stance on the issue until she’s debated the matter with parliament next week, NOS reports.
A majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, support two motions from ChristenUnie MP Joel Voordewind calling on the government to recognize the Armenian genocide and to send a Minister or State Secretary to the commemoration in the Armenian capital of Yerevan in April.
Kaag would not say whether a member of the government will attend the commemoration in April. But sources in The Hague told NOS that someone will be there.
Joël Voordewind said in a tweet earlier today that “the House of Representatives will recognize the Armenian genocide and this year the commemoration in Armenia will be attended at the government level.
Op initiatief vd @christenunie gaat de 2e Kamer de Armeense genocide erkennen en zal op regeringsniveau de herdenking vd Armeense genocide dit jaar worden bijgewoond in Armenië. Een duidelijk signaal naar nabestaanden en waarschuwing aan potentiële daders! https://t.co/4BBuvB2gZm
— Joël Voordewind (@JoelVoordewind) February 16, 2018
In 2004 the Dutch House of Representatives asked the government “within the framework of its dialogue with Turkey to continuously and expressly raise the recognition of the Armenian genocide.”
