On the day marking the 99^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, President of France Francois Hollande participated in a commemoration event organized by the French-Armenian community near the statue of Komitas, reports azatutyun.am.

Hollande arrived on time and was the first to lay a wreath in front of the statue of Komitas.

The event began with speeches by the leaders of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France who welcomed the President of France, after which President Hollande took the stage.

Hollande began his speech with Komitas, mentioning that Komitas had the miserable fate that the ancestors of the families gathered at the event also had. Hollande underlined the fact that what Komitas and other Armenians experienced in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 is a tragedy that can’t be called anything else but genocide.

Hollande said France has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide and he has participated in the elaboration of the law.

Hollande went on to oppose denial and said he would support French-Armenian organizations in their actions.

However, Francois Hollande didn’t clarify whether there would be a new draft law criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide.

The French President also talked about the plan to create an Armenian Remembrance and Cultural Center, which he had pledged.

For more details, visit  azatutyun.am.