OPEN LETTER OF THE FORUM OF ARMENIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF EUROPE TO CONGRESSMEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Noyan Tapan
Feb 26, 2010

Your Honors, Congressmen of the United States of America

The Presidency of the Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe had
written last April to HE Mr. Barack Obama, The President of the United
States of America, with the following request.

HE Mr. Barack Obama The President of the United States of America

April 15, 2009

Your Excellency, Mr. President,

In the name of the representatives of the Armenian communities in
Europe please allow us to express our deepest and utmost gratitude
for your stance on the Armenian Genocide during your pre-election
campaign. We feel confident that your continuous efforts will
contribute to the adoption of the resultant resolution on the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the US Congress.

Honorable President, Armenian communities have hitherto contributed
to the adoption of similar resolutions by the Parliaments of a number
of European countries in faith that this will aid to the development
of Turkish-Armenian relations and their neighborly cooperation. By
helping Turkey to reconcile with its past and enhance working relations
with its neighboring country, we will naturally contribute to the
development of Turkey’s democracy and create an opportunity for it
to earn its right for its future integration into the European Union.

The adoption of the resolution recognizing and condemning the
Armenian Genocide by the United States will greatly contribute to this
historical process and will help the Turkish authorities to ‘cross
Rubicon’ and rid itself of the heavy burden inherited from its past.

Honorable President,

We eagerly await your speech on April 24 in faith and hope and we
express our admiration and deepest gratitude for your newly initiated
efforts.

This letter was signed by a number of notable figures in Europe,
among others,

Ashot Grigorian – President of Forum of Armenian Associations
of Europe, (Slovakia) Marios Garoyian – President of the House of
Representatives, Republic of Cyprus Charles Aznavour – Singer, Public
Activist (France) Hilda Tchoboian – President of European-Armenian
Federation for Justice and Democracy (France) Sergey Khachatrya –
Violinist (Germany) Arthur Abraham – World Champion in Boxing (Germany)
Levon Aronian – Chess Grandmaster (Germany)

Honorable Congressmen, We turn to you for your support on an
issue that has been the cause of much suffering to the Armenian
Diaspora worldwide. Turkey’s ignorance of the Armenian Genocide,
its falsification of justice, its sinning against the truth can no
longer be tolerated and we ask you to recognize the Armenian Genocide
in honor of historical truth and morality. We are convinced that
recognition of the Armenian Genocide will make Turkey honor the
international opinion, and more importantly, it will help towards
building a sustainable relationship between Armenia and Turkey.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Ashot Grigorian President, Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe