Daily Bruin
Friday, February 18, 2005
U.S. seeks to bring stability to Armenia
Ambassador speaks to UCLA community about American presence in nation
By Zahra Bazmjow
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]
Over 100 students and faculty members gathered in Ackerman Thursday
to welcome U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans to UCLA.
People sat in chairs, stood and even sat on the ground during the
hour and a half discussion to hear Evans’ report from Armenia and
take part in the afternoon’s open forum.
During the event, Evans outlined the U.S.’s mission in Armenia
and highlighted its three projected goals there: to bring greater
stability and security to the Southern Caucasus, to build up the
economies of the region in a broad-based and sustainable way, and to
foster democratic institutions.
“We’ve had some victories and some setbacks,” Evans said.
Christina Ohanian, historian for the UCLA Armenian Students
Association, said that the interaction between the ambassador and
the local Armenian community was important.
“It’s important for the government to make such contact … so that
we can see what is going on first hand,” she said.
Evans was invited to UCLA by Modern Armenian History Professor
Richard Hovannisian. Robin Phillips, the U.S. Agency for International
Development director was also present.
Evans was sworn in as the ambassador to Armenia on Aug. 11, 2004 and
is visiting major Armenian communities for exchanges and forums.
The Armenian population in Southern California has grown to more than
500,000 since 1915, and is now the largest Armenian community outside
the country itself.
Armenia is a post-Soviet republic in the Caucasus. The country is
landlocked and on only a small portion of historic Armenia, most
of which is now in eastern Turkey. It was from this region that the
Armenian population was massacred during the genocide of 1915.
The Caucasus region is located between the Black Sea to the west and
the Caspian Sea to the east.
Armenia, a country slightly smaller than the state of Maryland,
sustained years of conflict and turmoil that culminated on April
24, 1915, in a genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks against
the Armenians.
One and a half million Armenians – 60 percent of that population –
are believed by many to have been killed between the years of 1915
and 1923.
The Turkish government denies the genocide ever occurred and the
United States refuses to term the events as genocide.
Over the centuries, Armenia, despite periods of autonomy, came
under the control of various empires. In 1991, Armenia gained its
independence from the Soviet Union.
Since then, the United States has played a major role in the
development of the country.
The per capita level of assistance offered by the United States to
Armenia is higher than any other former Soviet state, Evans said.
“From my perspective Armenia is headed in the right direction
and progress has been remarkable. We need to be patient but also
persistent,” he said.
“I think we’re making a difference,” Evans added.
Evans also said the United States supports free and fair elections
in Armenia.
“I want to put to rest the idea that the U.S. is causing turmoil in
the area. We are unabashedly in support of free leadership,” he said.
Many students agreed that the open forum and the opportunity to ask
questions during the event were highlights of the experience.
“I was excited to see the ambassador and happy that he came even
though I don’t agree with everything he said,” said Ani Nahapetian,
a member of the Armenian Graduate Student Association of UCLA.
Many students say they believe the United States would be even more
effective if it could recognize the genocide of 1915.
“The situation in Armenia is improving but there are glaring problems,
the main one being the continued denial of the Armenian genocide by
the U.S. government,” said Samvel Setyan, treasurer of the ASA.
“I feel that the United States, which stands for all of these ideals,
is hypocritical by not recognizing that the genocide occurred,” said
Gohar Gazazyan, a mass communications and history student and member
of ASA.
But overall, students seemed optimistic about the future of Armenia.
“I got a positive vibe from the forum, but the problem is that there
is still a lot left to be done,” Gazazyan said.