ARMENIAN LOBBYING ORGANIZATIONS OF EUROPE CALL ON U.S. EMBASSY TO ARMENIA TO DEFINE ITS POSITION IN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 20 2007

SLOVAKIA, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
Organizations Representation in Europe (AORE) spread a statement
concerning a statement recently made by the U.S. Embassy to Armenia.

The statement submitted to Noyan Tapan by Ashot Grigorian, the Chairman
of the AOER and Armenian Community of Slovakia, particularly, reads
the following:

"The Armenian lobbying organizations of Europe observe with great
attention the dialogue between Aram Hamparian, the Executive Director
of the Armenian National Committee of America Washington and the
U.S. Embassy to Armenia.

I, as the Chairman of the Armenian Organizations Representation in
Europe, lobbyist of the Armenian Genocide resolution at the National
Council of Slovakia, state with most responsibility that it is, mildly
speaking, strange for me and my colleagues acting in our region to hear
similar statements from such an authoritative body as the U.S. Embassy
to the RA is. In our opinion, Armenian lobbyist Aram Hamparian clearly
presented the incomprehensible position of the U.S. administration and
candidate for ambassador Hoagland’s statements which seriously hurt
every Armenian and arisee serious wish of protest, and the U.S. Embassy
displays exclusive unawareness in this issue. To refuse usage of the
"genocide" term means to renounce the crime committed towards 1.5
mln of innocent victims and accept the executioner’s being just.

This reality becomes especially inadmissible after the fact when
after former Ambassador John Evans’ manly step the latter was quiet
inappropriately and unequivalently punished by the U.S. acting
administration.

To add, we have had exclusively close ties and, it is natural,
exchange of opinions on the Armenian Genocide issue as well, with
representatives of the U.S. Embassy to Slovakia during different
periods of time, and no American diplomate was ever found who
would accuse Evans of his statement. More, there were people among
representatives of the U.S. Embassy, occupying high posts who visited
with us the khachkar (cross stone) – memorial dedicated to the Armenian
Genocide which was placed by us in the center of Bratislava and
has never avoided using the "genocide" term. Supporting John Evans,
we all refuse understanding Hoagland and ones like him, demanding
more correctness when touching upon the Armenian nation’s historic
misfortune. We state that if the U.S.

Embassy to the RA does not want to support its former head honourable
Ambassador John Evans’ step, proper for a honest diplomate, then let
it be kind to clearly present its position on the Armenian Genocide,
arising of the fact that this Embassy is placed in Armenia, the
Fatherland of the people survived the first genocide of the 20th
century.

If the Embassy makes an attempt to renounce the fact of the genocide
and turning to diplomatic measures, attempts to avoid establishing the
truth on the Armenian land, we shall start a gathering of signatures in
European countries to support Ambassador Evans and will demand from the
U.S. present administrative heads a clear explanation on their posture
in the Armenian Genocide issue. Everybody knows that after lont-term
discussions and voluminous cognitive works, parliaments of a number
of countries of the European Union adopted resolutions affirming the
Armenian Genocide and are puzzled with the repulsive posture of the
U.S. today’s administration. Of course, there are great hopes that the
U.S. Congress will have courage to establish the truth and will give
the U.S. possibility to occupy its worthy place near other democratic
and developed counties of the world in this issue as well.

We support Aram Hamparian, join his statement and persuade not to be
depressed on the way of reaching the truth. We address to heads of the
U.S. Embassy to the RA, again to touch upon the statement made by it
and persuade to correct its terminology about the Armenian Genocide,
taking into consideration the fact that this Embassy functions in
bosom of the people suffered the first genocide of the 20th century
and presents a country the Ambassador of which, Morgenthau, was once
one among the first people to respond the terrible massacres committed
by the Ottaman Empire, qualifying them with worthy labels.