ARPI VARDANIAN CONVINCED THAT BARACK OBAMA TO KEEP HIS PROMISE TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Nov 6, 2008
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. "There is a high probability that
Barack Obama will keep his promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide,"
Arpi Vardanian, the Regional Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
of the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA), stated at the November 6
press conference. In her words, Sen. Obama has always spoken about the
genocide as a fait accompli, and for him the genocide’s recognition is
not a pre-election promise but a historic necessity to admit the truth.
In the opinion of A. Vardanian, it does not mean that the Armenian
Americans should stop their lobbying activity. "From now on the
Turks will try to influence Obama and the future vice president Biden
in order to prevent the recognition of the genocide. We should not
twiddle our thumbs either," she remarked.
A. Vardanian pointed out that both the U.S. and the world expect the
newly-elected president of the U.S. to make changes. "Time will show
whether there will be such changes or not," she noted. According to
her, it is still not clear to the Armenians whether the OSCE Minsk
Group’s format will be retained and the U.S. co-chair of the Minsk
Group Matthew Bryza will continue his work in it, and if not, who
will replace him.