KIRO MANOYAN: RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY TURKEY IS FIRST OF ALL MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY FOR ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Mar 20 2007
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The formulation included in the 2006
annual report on Human Rights of U.S. State Department, according to
which Nagorno Karabakh is occupied territory of Azerbaijan, is also a
lever of pressure upon Armenia on the threshold of the elections. Kiro
Manoyan, Head of ARFD Bureau Office of Hay Dat and Political Affairs,
stated this at the March 20 press conference. In his words, such a
sharp position of U.S. being OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing country
"can question American side’s impartiality."
K. Manoyan once more confirmed that Turkish government’s pressures
on U.S. administration and Congress in the issue of adoption of
Resolution on Armenian Genocide have considerably increased in the
recent period. In his words, indeed Turkey threatens that U.S. will
suffer great damages in case of Resolution’s adoption. K. Manoyan
said that recognition of Armenian Genocide by Turkey is first of all
a matter of national security for Armenia and Armenia is in danger
as far as Turkey refuses to recognize the Genocide.
As regards activity carried out by Turkish-Azerbaijani lobbying in
various countries, in K. Manoyan’s words, the danger of the latters
is not great, as Armenians of Diaspora are more organized. At the same
time, in his words, we cannot disregard activity of Turkish-Azerbaijani
organizations and the big sums they spend. By the way, as K. Manoyan
mentioned, great efforts are required from Armenian lobbyists for
counteracting to them.