YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — The European Union’s monitoring mission deployed along Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan appeared to have removed on Thursday, April 24, the word “genocide” from its statement on the 110th anniversary of the slaughter of some 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.
The initial version of the statement posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, paid tribute to “the victims of the Armenian Genocide.” The phrase was changed to “the Armenian victims of 1915-1923” shortly afterwards.
The Armenian genocide has been officially recognized by the parliaments and/or governments of most, but not all, of the EU’s 27 member states, including France, Germany and Italy. EU bodies and officials have not used the word “genocide” in their public statements on the matter.
“The Armenian Genocide began 110 years ago,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in an X post. “On this April 24, the national day of remembrance, let us remember all the victims and keep their memory alive.”
The editing of the EU mission statement prompted a scornful reaction from Russia. “Incredible cynicism and vileness!” Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, wrote on Telegram.
Zakharova mentioned the genocide anniversary when she spoke at a news briefing earlier in the day. She stressed that Russia was one of the first countries to recognize the genocide.
