Ruse, fourth Bulgarian city to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide

Thursday 17 April, Ruse city passes a city council resolution acknowledging the Armenian Genocide by 36 against 3 and 5 abstentions. Ruse (175 000 inhabitants) is becoming the fourth large city of Bulgaria to engage upon such a move after Varna (650 000 inhabitants), Plovdiv (380 000 inhabitants) and Burgas (230 000 inhabitants).

While Europe is becoming more and more permissive to Turkish denial, the European Armenian Federation warmly commends the citizens of Ruse, the members of their city council as well as the local Armenian community and especially the Armenian National Committee of Bulgaria.

The Federation recall that a similar resolution adopted in February by the city of Burgas has triggered the freeze of any commercial relations by the neighbouring Turkish region of Edirne (Andrinople), and noteworthy the European trans-boundary program PHARE. This episode gave evidence of the threat represented by Turkey’s State denial on the policies of the European Union.

Bulgaria is ruled by a coalition between Socialists and an ethnic party representing the large Turkish community of the country (10%).