CONGRESSMAN: ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS SHOULDN’T BE LINKED EITHER TO KARABAKH OR GENOCIDE ISSUES
Yerkir
24.08.2009 14:11
Yerevan (Yerkir) – Most people in the Armenian community that I talk
to are in favor of normalization of relations between Armenia and
Turkey. And of course I would like to see more normal relations between
the two countries, including significant trade between them, Frank
Pallone. Jr., the New Jersey Democrat who is a founding co-chair of
the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, has said in an interview
with the Armenian Reporter, PanARMENIAN.Net reported.
He said Armenian-Americans also want genocide recognition and they
felt that the Obama administration was trading the roadmap for
genocide recognition.
"I believe that these two issues should be separated. The president
should make a public statement recognizing the Armenian Genocide and
Congress should pass its resolution. We should proceed with the roadmap
as well; one should not be in lieu of the other," Frank Pallone said.
He stressed that the Armenian government was very supportive of the
roadmap, but they did not want it to be an excuse not to recognize
the Armenian Genocide. And after April 24, Turkish leaders began to
step back from the "road map," and going back to their preconditions
related to the Karabakh conflict.
"These are all separate issues. Normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations
should not be linked to the Karabakh conflict," Pallone said.
"I would note that the Obama administration is not opposed to the
resolution, I have not heard that. And President [Barack Obama]’s
position is that the Genocide occurred and should be recognized. But
[because] all the emphasis was on the "road map" in April, the issue
of the genocide was sort of put aside," the congressman said
"I do think that a presidential statement and a resolution by Congress
are necessary to memorialize the Armenian Genocide. And while genocide
recognition needs to remain a priority, the diaspora should spend time
to prioritize other issues as well. These would include a settlement
with regard to Nagorno-Karabakh as well as U.S. support of Armenia
economically and militarily. We have the two Armenian republics and
they need to be protected," he said.