RUSSIA INTERESTED IN RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY US
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.03.2010 13:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The US is between two fires – the influential
Armenian lobby and Turkey, according to a Russian expert.
"Each President of the United States pledges to recognize the Armenian
Genocide but none has done this so far," said Alexander Sotnichenko,
senior expert at Saint Petersburg Center of Modern Middle East
Studies. "Americans always resort to the Genocide issue in Turkey
tries to disregard their interests."
"Russia is interested in recognition of the Armenian Genocide by
Washington, as this would signify a crack in US-Turkish relations.
Meanwhile, Turkey can exert a strong political leverage on the US.
Being a NATO member state, it hosts a US military base in Incirlik.
Besides, it’s the only NATO member state bordering on Iran and Syria.
Turkey is an extremely important strategic partner the US and the
regular Armenian Genocide resolution is nothing but a tool of pressure
on Ankara," he said.
The Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res. 106) was submitted to the
House of Representatives by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), on
January 30, 2007, during the 110th United States Congress. It was
a non-binding resolution calling upon the US President to ensure
that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate
understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human
rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States
record relating to the Armenian Genocide, and for other purposes. Upon
its introduction it was referred to United States House Committee
on Foreign Affairs where it passed a 27-21 vote and was sent back
for a full house vote. On October 26, 2007, in a letter addressed
to the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, four key sponsors of the bill,
requested a debate on the bill in full House to be postponed.
Another resolution affirming the U.S. record on the Armenian
Genocide (H.Res.252) was formally introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives by Reps. Adam Schiff (D.-CA), George Radanovich
(R.-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D.-NJ), and Mark Kirk (R.-Ill) in 2009.
It currently has 137 co-sponsors.