March 28. 2024. 10:56

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Slovenian parliament recognises Holodomor as genocide


Slovenia’s parliament formally recognised Holodomor, the death by starvation of millions of Ukrainians under Soviet leader Josef Stalin in 1932-1933, as genocide, in a declaration supported by most political parties.

Two coalition parties tabled the declaration after the European Parliament passed a resolution last year calling on countries and international organisations to recognise the Holodomor as genocide.

It received cross-partisan support as all parties except the Left, a junior partner in the coalition, voted in favour on Tuesday.

“The Holodomor is a fact. But historians have not reached a unanimous verdict on the reasons for the event. To label the Holodomor as genocide, to draw parallels between today’s Russia and Stalin’s Soviet Union, is irresponsible,” said Left MP Matej T. Vatovec.

This was not the sentiment shared by other parties, which argued that by passing the declaration, the National Assembly was expressing its solidarity with the Ukrainian nation and would help inform the broader public about the crime.

The government also backed the declaration.

“The government joins the condemnation of a tragedy that caused the suffering and deaths of millions of Ukrainians and residents of other Soviet republics,” Foreign Ministry State Secretary Samuel Žbogar said.

He warned that Russia continues to loot Ukrainian grain stockpiles and obstructs grain exports to the countries that need it.

Meanwhile, Dejan Kaloh of the right-wing Democrats, the main opposition party, called for the international community to raise awareness of the genocide and other atrocities committed by the Soviet regime.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the step on Twitter.

“I am grateful to Slovenian parliamentarians for adopting the declaration honouring the memory of millions of Ukrainian victims of the Holodomor-Genocide in Ukraine in 1932-1933,” he tweeted on Tuesday.

(Ela Petrovčič | sta.si)

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