On April 22 the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan left for Krakow within the framework of his official visit.
At Krakow airport Malopolska (Lesser Poland) voevoda (head of regional administration) Mr. Jerzy Miller met the delegation of the National Assembly. Contacting him and the heads of the local authorities of Krakow the Speaker of the Parliament noted that he considered encouraging the relations between the territorial administration and local self-government bodies of Poland. Then the delegation of the National Assembly was familiarized with the rich historical-cultural heritage of Krakow, visiting the royal palaces and cathedral of Wawel.
On the same day the delegation of the National Assembly left for Oswencim and visited Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp memorial-museum. Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan laid a wreath, respecting the memory of the victims of the tragedy that took place in that concentration camp. After walking around in the memorial-museum the head of the Armenian legislative power wrote down in the guests’ book.
After getting acquainted with the history of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan said: “I am simply shocked. In this concentration camp about one million people were killed. They have been exterminated by industrial methods. The reason was that they belonged to other nationality. I condemn the Jews’ Holocaust. On April 24 we will commemorate the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. I get convinced once again that if the Armenian Genocide were condemned in time, maybe during the World War II this tragedy would not take place.”
On April 23 in the evening the delegation headed by the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan will return to Yerevan.