Armenian National Committee of Canada
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Albert St., Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622 Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/courriel:national.office@anc-canad a.com
PRESS RELEASE
June 18, 2007
Contact: Kevork Manguelian
Armenian Genocide Recognition is the Government of Canada Policy
PM Harper condemns foreign representatives’ interference in Canadian
domestic affairs
Toronto- During a roundtable discussion with the National Ethnic Press and
Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC) on June 15, in a response to Horizon Weekly
representative and the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee
of Canada, Aris Babikian, the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper,
reaffirmed that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Canada is a
government policy and not `the position of the elected guys’ as some
insubordinate civil servants tried to represent.
The Prime Minister emphasized that `Canada’s recognition of the Armenian
Genocide’ is sometimes not easy `for the foreign service of Canada’ to
accept. The Prime Minister made it clear that the `ultimate position of the
elected government is the position of the Government of Canada.’
Furthermore, in a response to NEPMCC President Tom Saras’ query about the
interference in Canadian internal affairs of representatives of foreign
governments and pressuring or coercion of Canadians and Canadian
organizations to follow certain policies, the Prime Minister condemned such
practices and said that he found it `unacceptable’ for these diplomats to
pursue such interference. He reminded members of the media that as head of
`the Government of Canada I can not tell you what write in your newspaper
and foreign governments can not tell what to write.’
Mr. Saras query refereed to a recent attempt by the Turkish Embassy to
silence Mr. Saras after his condemnation of the assassination of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The Turkish Embassy launched a
vicious campaign to discredit Mr. Saras and called for his resignation as
NEPMCC president.
`We are proud to have such an honourable, moral, and visionary Prime
Minister as Mr. Harper,’ Jean Mgerditchian, president of the Armenian
National Committee of Canada (ANCC). `After the Prime Minister’s
unambiguous clarification, we call on our civil servant to comply to the
policies of the executive and legislative government vis-a-vis the Armenian
Genocide,’ concluded Mgerditchian.
Some 45 ethnic and mainstream media representatives attended the roundtable
discussion.
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The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of
the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
Regional Chapters/Sections régionales
Montréal – Laval – Ottawa – Toronto – Hamilton – Cambridge – St. Catharines
– Windsor – Vancouver
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress