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PRESS RELEASE

Armenia Solidarity
British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group
Nor Serount Publications
Armenian Genocide Trust
eilian@nantperis.wanadoo.co.uk
baappg.bazil@ btinternet.com
norserount@btconnect.com
edd@daniel yan.com

Two important developments in the fight for Armenian Genocide recognition in
the UK took place this week

1 Meeting with the Minister for Europe

For the first time in eleven years, Armenian lobbyists were invited to meet
the minister responsible for the Genocide issue, thanks to the help of
Andrew George MP, a long-time supporter of genocide recognition in the House
of Commons. The minister is the newly -promoted Mr Jim Murphy. He listened
carefully to three separate perspectives on the issue: Historical, Moral and
Political.

He was assured of the wide consensus by impartial historians regarding the
truth of the genocide by historian Christopher Walker, who also put it that
Genocide Recognition by the UK would help Turkey come to terms with its
past.

He was briefed on the replies received from his predecessors, by Eilian
Williams and was told that the often-repeated "neither this government, nor
previous governments have found the evidence to be sufficiently unequivocal"
was disingenuous and misleading as no historians or genocide scholars were
ever consulted by this or previous governments. He was updated on the
Recognition of the Genocide in Wales, and the unveiling of the Armenian
Genocide Monument in Cardiff on November 3rd 2007. He showed surprise that
by this week (until 16th October 2007) 175 fellow MPs have already signed
Early Day Motion 357 recognising the Genocide, making it the second most
successful foreign affairs EDM in parliament.

A description of the political consequences of the Genocide and its denial
on Armenia’s security was given by Bernard Nazarian. He described how the
Genocide had deprived Armenia of most of its historic lands and that today
Armenians were forced to live in a strip of land at the eastern extremity of
historical Armenia blockaded and threatened from the West (by Turkey) and
from the east (by Azerbaijan).

Mr Murphy (the Minister for Europe) promised to examine the issue with an
open mind and to consult his fellow MPs. The meeting was facilitated by Mr
Andrew George MP whose statement is below. Armenia Solidarity Lobbyists,
part of the Coalition which also includes the British-Armenian All-Party
Parliamentary Group, Nor Serount Publications and Armenian Genocide Trust
were accompanied by historian Christopher Walker.

2 Message from government minister Ed Balls

The Rt Hon. Ed Balls MP a government minister and close to the Prime
Minister Gordon Brown, sent a message to Wales-Armenia Solidarity wishing
the event in Cardiff on the 3rd November 2007 (unveiling of the Welsh
National Monument to the Armenian Genocide) "every success". No such message
from a government minister in the UK has ever been received before.

_____

PRESS STATEMENT

ANDREW GEORGE MP

HOUSE OF COMMONS

LONDON SW1A 0AA

Tuesday 16th October 2007

HISTORIC MOVE TO ENCOURAGE GOVERNMENT RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Andrew George MP led a small delegation to meet Minister for Europe, Jim
Murphy MP, today (Tuesday) to discuss proposals that the UK Government
should now recognise the massacre of Armenians between 1915-1923 as
genocide.

This was the first meeting between campaigners for the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide and a UK Foreign Office Minister since Labour took power
over 10 years ago. Alongside Mr George was Eilian Williams and Bernard
Nazarian of the Armenia Solidarity Society and the historian Christopher
Walker, author of ‘Armenia: survival of a nation’.

Mr George described this as the "beginning of a conversation" to hopefully
agree and acknowledge the historic accuracy of what happened to Armenians
during this period and to reflect upon the contemporary political context of
any decisions taken.

Mr George said: "There are still some survivors of this genocide living in
Armenia. The sensitivity of what happened still runs very high. I am pleased
that the new Minister has agreed to review the history and political context
and to continue this conversation."

Currently 22 countries recognise the Armenian genocide and earlier this
month members of the US Congressional Foreign Relations Committee passed a
resolution labelling the killings as genocide.