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04/19/2005
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1) Sargsian Emphasizes Will of People in Karabagh Resolution
2) California Marchers Pass 200 Mile Mark
3) Record Number of Senators Call on President Bush to Properly Characterize Armenian Genocide
4) Forty-Five US Representatives Call For Pro-Armenian Provisions in Foreign Aid Bill
1) Sargsian Emphasizes Will of People in Karabagh Resolution
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Defense Minister Serge Sargsian told a press conference on
Tuesday that the Mountainous Karabagh conflict must be resolved through mutual
concessions, but stressed that the population must choose that compromise.
“The
entire people will jointly decide what those concessions will be,” he said.
In a statement issued on Friday, US, French, and Russian mediators said the
peace process has reached a “sensitive juncture, where a first step towards an
agreement…could be at hand.” The statement by the three-co-chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group coincided with a new round of Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks in
London.
Underscoring their renewed optimism about peace prospects, the mediators
urged
the conflicting parties to “prepare their populations for a balanced
negotiated
agreement that will require compromise on both sides.”
“There was a breakthrough at one point,” Sargsian told reporters. “But I
don’t
find it appropriate to talk about it today because time for doing that hasn’t
yet come. Push hasn’t yet come to shove. Once it comes, we will talk.”
Sargsian repeated that the Armenian side is ready to withdraw from occupied
territories in Azerbaijan in exchange for international “security guarantees”
for Karabagh. “Karabagh cannot be subordinated to Azerbaijan,” he
explained. “A
second guarantee would be that Karabagh can not exist as an enclave and must
have a land border with the Republic of Armenia, as well as an ability to take
part in progressive international processes.”
“I have never felt any [international] pressure in any place,” he said. “If
there is any pressure, we face it as much as Azerbaijan does.”
2) California Marchers Pass 200 Mile Mark
SACRAMENTO–The group of young, dedicated marchers passed the 200 mile mark
and
reached Sacramento on Monday in the final week of their 215 mile and 19 day
journey from Fresno.
Walking in solidarity with the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian genocide,
the marchers will arrive at the steps of the state capitol building on
Thursday
morning, where they will join a mass rally to begin at 11 a.m.
The Rally for Humanity will thank the California State Legislature and those
of 36 other state legislatures for officially recognizing the Armenian
genocide.
“The 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide will not rest in peace
until
the Turkish government acknowledges the Genocide, comes to terms with its
history, and makes proper reparations,” said Serouj Aprahamian, March
coordinator. “This walk and other forms of activism is just one way the
Armenian youth will work to secure justice for the first genocide of the 20th
century.”
Determined to inform the world about the Armenian genocide and the 1.5
million
innocent lives that were lost as a result of the crime against humanity, the
marchers will walk their final two days Wednesday and Thursday morning,
despite
aching joints and sore muscles.
As their way of showing solidarity to the marchers and the cause they are
walking for, more than a dozen others joined the marchers over the weekend.
The
group is expected to grow to more than 100 on Thursday morning for the final
stretch of the walk.
For more information visit or call (818) 507-1933.
3) Record Number of Senators Call on President Bush to Properly Characterize
Armenian Genocide
32 Senators, led by Senators Corzine and Ensign, to be joined by over 175
representatives in urging the President to honor his pledge
WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)–Senators Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and John Ensign (R-NV)
were
joined by thirty of their Senate colleagues on Tuesday, urging President Bush
to reaffirm “the United States record on the Armenian Genocide” by properly
characterizing that crime against humanity as “genocide” in his annual
April 24
statement.
This move comes on the eve of the international community’s commemoration of
the 90th anniversary of the centrally planned and systematically executed
massacre of over 1.5 million Armenians. A similar letter in the US House,
signed by more than 175 Representatives, will soon be sent to the White House.
“Armenian Americans–from New Jersey to Nevada and around the nation–thank
Senators Corzine and Ensign for their leadership in securing a record level of
Senate support for the annual letter urging President Bush to honor his pledge
to recognize the Armenian Genocide,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of
the ANCA. “Along with thirty of their Senate colleagues, they have sent a
powerful signal to the White House that the American government should, once
and for all, end its complicity in Turkey’s shameful campaign to deny its
crime
against the Armenian nation.”
In the April 18 letter to President Bush, the Senators noted, “The memory of
the Armenian Genocide underscores our responsibility to help convey our
cherished tradition of respect for fundamental human rights and opposition to
mass slaughters. It is in the best interests of our nation and the entire
global community to remember the past and learn from these crimes against
humanity to ensure that they are never repeated.” The Senators continue with a
clear request of the President, stating, “We respectfully request that you
refer to the mass slaughter of Armenians as genocide in your commemorative
statement.”
Senate support for the letter this year jumped nearly 50% over the level of
support for a similar letter in 2004, which garnered 22 cosigners. House
support for a similar initiative also increased this year, with over 175
Representatives pledged to sign the Congressional letter to President Bush
initiated by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). Last year’s House letter was signed by 169
Representatives.
Senators cosigning the letter to President Bush included: Senate Democratic
Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Democratic Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL),
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins
(R-ME), Small Business Committee Chairperson Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Foreign
Relations Committee Ranking Democrat Joe Biden (D-DE), Armed Services
Committee
Ranking Democrat Carl Levin (D-MI), Homeland Security and Government Affairs
Committee Ranking Member Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Banking Committee Ranking
Democrat Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), Rules Committee Ranking Member Christopher Dodd
(D-CT), Small Business Committee Ranking Democrat John Kerry (D-MA),
Environment and Public Works James Jeffords (I-VT), Health, Education and
Labor
Committee Ranking Democrat Edward Kennedy (D-MA), George Allen (R-VA), Barbara
Boxer (D-CA), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Norm
Coleman
(R-MN), Jon Corzine (D-NJ), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), John Ensign (R-NV), Russell
Feingold (D-WI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Frank Lautenberg
(D-NJ), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Barack Obama (D-IL),
Jack
Reed (D-RI), Rick Santorum (R-PA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow
(D-MI), and John Sununu (R-NH).
The initiative was led by Senators Corzine and Ensign, who coauthored the
Genocide resolution (S.Res.164) in the 108th Congress, which marked the 15th
anniversary of the US implementation of the Genocide Convention.
4) Forty-Five US Representatives Call For Pro-Armenian Provisions in Foreign
Aid Bill
WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)–Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and George Radanovich
(R-CA) were joined on Tuesday by forty-three of their US House colleagues in
formally calling on the leadership of the House Foreign Operations
Subcommittee
to support pro-Armenian provisions in the fiscal year 2006 foreign aid bill.
The bipartisan expression of support, addressed to the panel’s Chairman Jim
Kolbe (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), strengthens the hand of
pro-Armenian members of the Subcommittee, most notably Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg, Steve Rothman (D-NJ), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and John
Sweeney (R-NY). Rep. Sweeney, who is a new addition to the panel this year, is
one of only two Members of Congress of Armenian heritage.
The letter specifically calls for setting an earmark of at least $75 million
for Armenia; maintaining the President’s request for equal levels of Foreign
Military Financing for Armenia and Azerbaijan at $5 million each; an
additional
$5 million in direct aid to Karabagh for fiscal year 2006; and keeping in
place
the Section 907 restriction on aid to Azerbaijan.
“We very much appreciate the leadership of Congressmen Radanovich and Pallone
in urging the Foreign Operations Subcommittee to support provisions in the
foreign aid bill of special importance to Armenian Americans,” said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We also value the advocacy for
pro-Armenian
issues from within this panel by Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg,
the leadership of Chairman Jim Kolbe and Ranking Democrat Nita Lowey, and the
support of Steve Rothman, John Sweeney, Mark Kirk, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Carolyn
Kilpatrick, Chaka Fattah, and our other friends.”
The names of the forty-five signatories include Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY),
Thomas H. Allen (D-ME), Robert E. Andrews (D-NJ), Xavier Beccerra (D-CA),
Howard L. Berman (D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Michael
E. Capuano (D-CA), Dennis A. Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers Jr. (D-MI), Jim
Costa
(D-CA), Jerry F. Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), David Dreier (R-CA),
Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Eleanor
Holmes
Norton (D-DC), Rush D. Holt (D-NJ), Michael M. Honda (D-CA), Steve Israel
(D-NY), Darrell E. Issa (R-CA), James R. Langevin (D-RI), Stephen F. Lynch
(D-MA), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), James P. McGovern
(D-MA), Michael R. McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Robert Menendez
(D-NJ), Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr.
(D-NJ), Collin C. Peterson (D-MN), Linda T. Sanchez (D-CA), Adam B. Schiff
(D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), Clay E. Shaw, Jr. (R-FL), John Shimkus (R-IL),
Mark
E. Souder (R-IN), George Radanovich (R-CA), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH),
Diane
E. Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Jerry Weller (R-IL).
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