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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, September 14, 2009
AGBU President Berge Setrakian Visits Armenia, Meets with Armenian
President Sargsian
Berge Setrakian, President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union
(AGBU), visited Armenia from August 28 to September 4, 2009.
While there, the AGBU president met with His Holiness Karekin II,
Catholicos of All Armenians, Serge Sargsian, President of the Republic
of Armenia, Tigran Sargisian, Prime Minister of Armenia, Edward
Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Hranush Hakobyan, Minister
of Diaspora.
On September 4, Setrakian met with President Sargsian at the
presidential office. President Sargsian spoke highly of AGBU’s active
involvement in Armenian issues around the world. During the meeting,
they also discussed the issues raised regarding the proposed protocols
to be entertained by Armenia and Turkey.
AGBU President Setrakian voiced his support for the Republic of
Armenia’s government in its efforts to achieve a just and fair outcome
in the building of good neighborly relations between Armenia and Turkey,
while safeguarding the historic claims and rights of the Armenian
People.
"We know," Setrakian said, "that the authorities in Armenia face a
difficult path as they endeavor to build new relations with Turkey
without imposed preconditions. We also believe the government of Armenia
shares our serious concerns about the sincerity of Turkey, given its
historic anti-Armenian policy that has continued to the present time."
Setrakian also stressed that while motivated by practical concerns of
geopolitical challenges, the Armenian authorities are not inclined to
reach any agreement at the expense of the fundamental and historic
rights of the Armenian people. He reiterated AGBU’s fundamental stand
that justice for the sacred Armenian Case and the international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide should transcend and not be
sacrificed for any immediate diplomatic consideration. He also said that
no protocol should precondition normalization of relations by any terms
of concession involving the Karabakh conflict.
Earlier in the week, Setrakian met with Diaspora Minister Hakobyan and
they spoke about upcoming meetings and events that aim to bring together
the diaspora and homeland, including a global Armenian leadership
assembly slated to take place in Yerevan next year and an initiative to
assemble Armenian intellectuals.
Established in 1906, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU
() is the world’s largest non-profit Armenian organization.
Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian
identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs, annually touching the lives of some 400,000 Armenians around
the world.