NEW ARMENIAN LOBBYING ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN USA
PanARMENIAN.Net
14.12.2006 16:50 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Gerard Cafesjian, an U.S. philanthropist
and businessman of Armenian descent, has set up a new lobbying
organization – U.S.-Armenia Public Affairs Committee (USAPAC). The
group will be run by Ross Vartian. The main goal of the organization
is to "complement" the existing Armenian-American advocacy groups
and match their considerable influence in Washington.
Vartian, insisted that the USAPAC is not a splinter group. "Our
primary purpose is to add to the community of the Armenian lobby in a
unique and collaborative way and make the Armenian lobby stronger in
Washington," he told. Following traditions in Jewish lobbying groups,
the organization will become one more link for forwarding the Armenian
issues in the power structures of the USA.
In his words, USAPAC will concentrate on countering the impact of
Azerbaijani oil on U.S. policy towards Armenia and pressing Washington
to take a pro-Armenian stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He
said the Armenian Genocide recognition will also be on the USAPAC
agenda but indicated that the new group will favor a softer line on
Turkey’s membership in the European Union. "What concerns Turkey’s
EU bid and the issues of the Armenian Genocide, we think that Ankara
must do all the commitments for EU membership and join to the European
Union. As a fully mature member of the EU, Turkey would be a much more
friendly neighbor of Armenia. And the issue of the Armenian Genocide
is always in our agenda," said Vartian, RFL Radio Liberty reports.