AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
March 19 2010
Obama not to impede Congress `genocide’ debate: top US diplomat
19-03-2010 07:25:58
The top US diplomat for Europe, Philip Gordon, has said the Obama
administration has no intention to hamper tabling in Congress the bill
branding the 1915 developments in Ottoman Turkey as `genocide’ of
Armenians, Novosti Armenii news agency reported.
The announcement came after Wednesday’s statement by Republican
Congressman George Radanovich that US President Barack Obama’s
administration has agreed with the House of Representatives, the US
legislature’s lower chamber, not to table the `genocide’ bill in
Congress.
Gordon, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs, said Congress is an independent body and decides its agenda
on its own. He said that, despite the Obama administration’s
disagreement, the resolution is likely to be voted on in the full
House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee’s voted on the
`genocide’ resolution 23-22 in early March, even though the Obama
administration had urged Congress not to offend Turkey, a NATO ally.
However, the decision is not final, as the bill is now expected to go
to the 435-member House. Ankara warned that the resolution could
jeopardize U.S-Turkish cooperation and set back negotiations aimed at
opening the border between Turkey and Armenia, which remains sealed
due to long-standing enmity.
The US assistant secretary of state admitted that the `genocide’
resolution is impeding Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. He said
historical issues should, rather, be discussed in the context of
normalizing bilateral ties, but added: `I think that, ultimately, the
two countries’ leaders will finalize the process of normalizing
relations.’
Turkey and Armenia face decades of enmity. Turkey closed its border
with Armenia in 1993 due to Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani
territory and genocide claims. In an effort to mend ties, the two
governments signed protocols to establish diplomatic relations and
reopen their borders in Zurich in October 2009. However, the documents
require ratification in both countries’ parliaments to take effect.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
