Draft resolution on the Armenia Genocide was discussed at UK House of Lords yesterday, March 29; however, it was not put to vote.

The discussion was initiated by Baroness Caroline Cox, who appealed “to recognize the mass massacres committed against Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as Genocide.”

During the hour-long discussion, Cox, presenting different facts, stated that “it is high time to join the civilized nations which recognized the Armenian Genocide, especially given the fact that this year marks the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide committed in 1915.”

Baroness Glenys Kinnock was against the initiative: she, as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports, suggested evading the usage of the word ‘genocide’ in order not to hinder the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

Prior to the discussions Armenian Solidarity Organization (ASO) in UK released and distributed a statement and special booklets to British lawmakers criticizing UK Secretary of State for Justice, Lord Chancellor Jack Straw.

According to ASO, at his meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan – while he was on a visit in London – Straw promised that the UK would not adopt the draft resolution on the Armenian Genocide.

The statement says “We appeal to the British lawmakers to put pressure upon the UK prime minister to reprimand Jack Straw for the denial of the Armenian Holocaust.”

Armenian experts in Turkish studies, based not only on Straw’s position but also similar with his statements by some other British high ranking officials – including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown – believe that the discussion at the House of Lords was simply an initiative of several individuals, which, however, will yield no result.

“I believe that this initiative hundred percent doomed to failure, because Great Britain has always been straightforward, openly making it clear that it was not interested in risking Turkish-British relations,” expert in Turkish studies Artak Shakaryan told ArmeniaNow.

Within the recent month, resolutions on the Armenian Genocide have been adopted by US House Foreign Affairs Committee (March 4) and the Parliament of Sweden (March 11).