ITALIAN PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZES GENOCIDE

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ITALIAN PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZES GENOCIDE

ROME--The Italian parliament Friday, overwhelmingly voted, in a voice

vote, to approve a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

The measure introduced by the Forza Italia right-wing party leader

Giancarlo Pagliarini and supported by fellow party member Gustavo Selva,

calls on the government of Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The measure, which has similar language to Wednesday's amendment to a

report approved by the European Parliament: "Invites the government of

Turkey and the Grand Assembly of Turkey to increase its support for the

Armenian minority -- which represents an important part of Turkish

society -- particularly through public recognition of the genocide which

the Armenian minority was subject to prior to the establishment of the

modern Turkish state."

Another resolution introduced by the same party calls for the "start

[of] a dialogue with Armenia in an effort, particularly, to re-establish

diplomatic and normal commercial relations between the two parties and

lift the blockade currently in place."

Armenian National Committee of Italy member Alecco Bezikian said the

Italian-Armenian community, as well as the ANC and the Armenian

Revolutionary Federation unit there worked diligently to ensure the

passage of the resolution.