PROBABILITY OF ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION N 106 BY CONGRESS IS GREAT THIS
YEAR, ARPI VARDANIAN CONSIDERS
YEREVAN, JULY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Arpi Vardanian, the Regional Director of
the Armenian Assembly of America in Armenia and in Nagorno Karabakh,
stated in her interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent that they will do
everything possible for reaching a convincing victory in the issue of
U.S. Congress’ adopting Resolution N 106 on recognition of the Armenian
Genocide.
In her words, the Armenian lobbying organizations of the U.S. have
firmly decided to continue their efforts aimed at increasing the number
of Resolution’s supporters.
A. Vardanian said that the adoption of Resolution N 106 is a long
process, in which not only lobbying organizations, but also the whole
Armenian community takes part. "The position of our community’s members
also playes a great role. They respond very actively to Resolution’s
support by this or that Congressman. Such actions of the community
strengthen the results of the lobbyists’ work," A. Vardanian said.
In her words, the Armenian community’s active position becomes of
special importance also in consideration of the activity of the Turkish
lobbyists, who in spite of their small number, try to counteract to the
efforts of the Armenian lobbyists and to undertake steps for reducing
the number of Resolution’s supporters.
Arpi Vardanian did not exclude the possibility of home and foreign
political factors’ influencing the process of adoption of Resolution N
106, for instance, the position of Turkey itself in relation to Iraq,
and the home political situation in Turkey itself.
Meanwhile, she said that the probability of adoption of Resolution N
106 by Congress this year is great. Among the factors, which can
contribute to its adoption, the Regional Director of the Armenian
Assembly of America in Armenia and in Nagorno Karabakh mentioned the
position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi,
who had been a member of the Congress’ Armenian Caucus for many years,
as well as the circumstance that today democrats make majority in
Congress, and they usually take a pro-Armenian position. Besides, the
fact that the subject of the Genocide receives a special resonance in
the world, including the U.S., has much influence.
It should be mentioned that according to the latest data, 217
Congressmen spoke for Resolution. Resolution N 106 was submitted on
January 30, 2007 for the discussion of the House of Representatives by
the members of the Republican Party, Adam Schiff, George Radanovich and
the Co-chairmen on Armenian Caucus, Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg.
The project is called a "House Resolution," as only the approval of the
House of Representatives is needed for its adoption.