PALERMO (ARKA)—The Sicilian Regional Assembly has unanimously recognized the Armenian Genocide, thus becoming the 105th regional structure in Italy to have recognized the crime against the Armenian people committed by the government of Ottoman Turkey during WWI, the press service of the Armenian foreign ministry said.

The resolution passed by the Sicily expresses its support and solidarity with the struggle of the Armenian people for the recognition of the historical reality.

The resolution calls on the government of Sicily and the national government in Rome to show joint assistance to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and to the dissemination of historical facts for the sake of peace, democracy and protection of the right of nations to self-determination.

The draft resolution was presented by MPs Cordaro Salvatore, D’Asero Antonino, Papale Alfio and Grasso Bernadette Felice.

The accord on the adoption of the resolution had been reached at the end of November 2015 at a meeting of Armenian ambassador to Italy Sargis Ghazaryan with the chairman of the Regional Council of Sicily Giovanni Ardizzone, held during the ambassador’s visit to Palermo.

The Sicilian Parliament is one of the oldest parliaments of the world. It was founded in 1097 and compared with the parliaments of other autonomous regions in Italy it has the most extensive powers.

The Italian Parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2000.