STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS NO DEAL TO STOP GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Yerkir
18.03.2010 13:20

Yerevan (Yerkir) – A congressional resolution that would recognize
World War I-era killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide
could go forward despite opposition from the Obama administration.

Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon told reporters there is
no deal with Democratic congressional leaders to block the resolution.

That contradicts earlier claims by the State Department.

"Congress is an independent body, and they are going to do what
they decide to do," Gordon said ahead of speech at the Brookings
Institution.

Gordon acknowledged the congressional committee vote had set back
relations at a time when the United States is seeking help from Turkey
to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But he said the United States
has not seen a deterioration in cooperation with Turkey on a wide
range of foreign policy matters.

The Obama administration has urged lawmakers to keep the measure from
a vote in the full House. It is not clear whether supporters of the
resolution have enough support to bring it to the House floor.

"I recognize that we have a tough job ahead of us to garner the
necessary support," said the resolution’s chief sponsor, California
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff.

Gordon said the resolution is an obstacle for reconciliation talks
between Turkey and Armenia. But Gordon denied the process had stalled.

"I really think that those two countries’ leaderships are committed
to doing this," he told reporters.

He said that the Obama administration thinks the historical issues are
best addressed by the two countries as part of reconciliation talks.