ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION WILL STRENGTHEN US’ POSITION IN SOUTH CAUCASUS REGION
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.03.2010 18:07 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ United Liberal National Party (ULNP) welcomes
US House Foreign Affairs Committee’s passage of Armenian Genocide
resolution: the party hopes H.Res. 252 will be included on Congress
agenda, ULNP secretary Vahan Babayan stated.
Possible passage of H.Res.252 in Congress might spell US’ intention to
strengthen its position in South Caucasus region. "With US recognizing
the Genocide, issues linked to changes in Armenia’s foreign policy
many occur," he noted.
In view of the above, Babayan noted, rumors about the visit of
Russian President or Prime Minister to Armenia are not accidental,
with Moscow trying to demonstrate that South Caucasus region is in
the center of its attention
Vahan Babayan forecasted certain progress in Armenia-Turkey
rapprochement before April 24, also stressing that unless Turkey
ratifies protocols until then, it will be the one responsible for
the failure of the process.
United Liberal National Party secretary was skeptical about Erdogan’s
statements on Turkey’s readiness to take return steps against US House
Foreign Affairs Committee decision. "In future, Turkey will have to
find common language with US and recognize the Armenian Genocide,"
he emphasized.
Dwelling on internal political situation in Armenia, Babayan noted that
statements on oncoming social riots in the country mustn’t be trusted.
The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic
destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during
and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and
deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to
lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths
reaching 1.5 million.
The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the
Genocide survivors.
To date, twenty countries and 44 U.S. states have officially recognized
the events of the period as genocide, and most genocide scholars and
historians accept this view.
On March 4, with a vote of 23 to 22, the House Foreign Relations
Committee successfully passed House Resolution 252 (H. Res. 252)
pushing the Resolution in Congress for a final vote yet to be
scheduled.