A member of Heritage opposition party Zaruhi Postanjyan submitted to parliamentary consideration a package of bills on condemnation of the genocides of Pontic Greeks, Assyrians, Yezidis and other ethnicities in the Ottoman Empire, with the draft laws latters included on the agenda of the Cabinet of Ministers’ next session.

The government, however, suggested instead declaring December 9 a commemoration day for the victims of genocides, to mark the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide adopted December 9, 1948.

“Based on the abovementioned, the government will consider the initiative acceptable in case its suggestion is approved, with Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan to be appointed as a co-rapporteur in consideration of the initiative,” the government’s statement said.