PHILIP GORDON VOICES SUPPORT FOR TURKEY’S PROPOSED HISTORICAL COMMISSION

armradio.am
17.06.2009 13:16

Assistant Secretary of State Phil Gordon today indicated that the
Obama Administration supports the establishment of an Armenia-Turkey
historical commission, a controversial proposal long advanced by the
Turkish government to cast doubt on the Armenian Genocide and undermine
international progress toward the universal recognition of this crime
against humanity, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).

Gordon, during testimony earlier today before the Europe Subcommittee
of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, fielded a question from
the panel’s Chairman, Robert Wexler (D-FL) about how the Department
of State intends to "navigate the course of the engagement between
Turkey and Armenia so that Azerbaijan comes out a winner." In his
response to this inquiry by the Turkish Caucus Co-Chairman, Gordon
voiced support for the Armenia-Turkey "roadmap," a document publicly
welcomed by the State Department on April 22nd, noting, in particular,
a highly controversial, much discussed, but never before officially
disclosed element of this agreement stipulating the establishment of
a commission to examine historical issues between the two nation. His
comments read, in part:

"You have two parallel but separate tracks [Armenia-Turkey dialogue
and the Nagorno Karabakh peace process] going on, a Turkey and
Armenia normalization reconciliation process that we do think is
quite potentially historic, where the two countries have agreed
on a framework for normalizing their relations that would include
opening the border, which has been closed for far to long, which
would establish diplomatic relations and would provide commissions
in key areas including history, and we encourage that process and we
support it."