"RECOGNITION OF THE GENOCIDE IS A NECESSITY"

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07:39 pm | March 23, 2009

Politics

Armen Rustamyan, Chairman of the RoA NA Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations, sent a letter to Howard Berman, Chairman of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the US House of Representatives. The letter
says in part:

"Dear Chairman Berman:

I have the pleasure to write to you upon the introduction of
legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide, and to share with
you and your colleagues our compete support for the adoption of this
measure affirming the commitment of the United States to the cause of
genocide-prevention. Armenia aspires for the universal recognition
and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, and sees it both as a
restoration of an historical justice and as a way to improve the
overall situation in the region, while also preventing similar crimes
in the future.

The Armenian people in our homeland, in the United States and
around the world, remain grateful for the hard work that you and
your colleagues, including, of course, Congressmen Adam Schiff and
George Radanovich, have devoted over the course of many years to
secure US recognition and official commemoration of this crime. I
am confident that the proponents of this process and also rightly
convinced that the lack of official recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by the United States has thus far in fact served to make
Turkey’s position in the issue of resolving the Armenian-Turkish
relations more uncompromising. We value these efforts and are, this
year, particularly encouraged by the clear statements of President
Barack Obama and senior members of his Administration in his regard
during the elections.

Please know that I remain available to share with your Congressional
colleagues, either in writing in person, the principled stand of the
Republic of Armenia in support of universal recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. I am confident that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
by the United States not only would not hamper, but on the country will
contribute to the prospects of a thorough dialogue between Turkey and
Armenia. A clear and principled stance by the US can only assist in
developing awareness that the recognition of the Genocide is not at all
a demonstration of anti-Turkish sentiments, but a necessity emanating
from the need to condemn this crime against humanity. Furthermore,
any durable improvement of Armenia-Turkey relations must rest upon
a foundation of shared respect for truth and justice.

Thank you for your friendship with the people and government of the
Republic of Armenia and for all your support and assistance over
the years."