PanARMENIAN.Net
AAA Calls upon U.S. President Stand Up for Historical
Truth – Armenian Genocide
18.01.2007 16:25 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `It is vitally important that the United States send
an ambassador to Armenia. The close bilateral relations of the two
countries depend on the maintenance of contact and consultation at the
highest diplomatic levels,’ says the statement of the Armenian
Assembly of America (AAA). It also mentions that close bilateral
relations of the two countries must develop and strengthen, which is
impossible without ambassador’s presence in Yerevan. Democracy in
Armenia is still a work in progress. With elections scheduled this
year, the U.S. Ambassador can play an important role in strengthening
Armenia’s democratic process and ensuring free and fair elections. The
proper recognition and international affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide is a matter of high priority for the Armenian people
worldwide. However, U.S.-Armenia relations do not hinge on this issue
alone.
Unlike Turkey, Administration officials have made it clear that the
United States does not deny the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian
Assembly does not believe that Richard Hoagland is a genocide denier.
However, it is also evident that the Bush Administration, while
relying on the dictionary definition of the Armenian Genocide in its
annual commemorative statements, remains unwilling to properly label
the crimes of 1915 as genocide.
Because of this fundamental policy disagreement with the
Administration, the Armenian Assembly believes that forceful and
consistent advocacy by the Armenian-American community toward shaping
a U.S. policy that properly recognizes and characterizes the Armenian
Genocide is the only right strategy in the long run. The Assembly
believes that there should be an American ambassador in Yerevan, and
there should be clear and positive U.S. affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide. Until then ambassadors will articulate the policies of the
President. The Armenian Assembly calls upon Congress and the President
to stand up for the historical truth, as Ambassador Evans did, and
boldly recognize the crimes committed in 1915 as genocide.