Nathalie Loiseau (France), Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defense of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, made a statement at the plenary session of the European Parliament—and on the occasion of the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

"On April 24, 1915, about 600 Armenians were arrested and killed in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, by order of the government. This event marked the beginning of the Armenian Genocide, during which three-quarters of the Armenian population of that time was killed. The international community did not react.

A few months ago, Azerbaijan forcibly deported 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian people have in fact survived both the first genocide of the 20th century and the first ethnic cleansing of the 21st century. And our reaction was again inadequate.

So, on this day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, Madam President, I am not asking you for a minute of silence. On the contrary, I am asking all Europeans to speak out and act, as the Armenian people are still facing danger today," Loiseau said.