Armenian Council of America (ACA) representatives met with Congressman Adam Schiff and discussed recent developments on the Armenian Genocide resolution, US-Armenia relations, Armenia-Turkey relations; and the Obama administration’s policies toward Armenia and Artsakh.
The ACA delegation commended Congressman Schiff for his continued stance and insistence on the reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide, democracy in Armenia, the sovereignty of Artsakh, and his apprehension towards the Armenia-Turkey protocols.
Specifically, the Congressman reiterated his position on the protocols, stating, “While I welcome what may be an important step in the rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey and hope that the upcoming talks result in a swift opening of full diplomatic and commercial relations between Ankara and Yerevan, as well as a reopening of the border, I have serious concerns about some provisions of the protocols accompanying the announcement.”
“In particular, I was deeply disappointed to see that the protocols call for the creation of an historical commission to review the events of 1915-23. This is a thoroughly discredited idea; there is no dispute among scholars that the Armenian people were the subject of genocide during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire and an historical commission is another effort to obfuscate the truth,”
“Turkey cannot be allowed to re-write this tragic part of its history as a price for normal relations with Armenia. To do so mean acquiescence in a charade that demeans the memory of so many victims.
“True reconciliation between the Armenian and Turkish peoples will occur when Turkey acknowledges the genocide that was committed by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians from 1915 – 1923. The Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the 20th Century, resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children and the sorrow that the Armenian people carry in their hearts cannot be healed by diplomatic relations alone,” he added.
The Congressman also expressed congratulations to the people of Armenia on the eighteenth anniversary of Armenia’s independence and continued his commitment to ensuring that the United States government does all that it can to help Armenia build governmental institutions and civil society with the goal of helping democracy flourish.
The ACA delegation updated the Congressman in their continued efforts helping the Congressman in strengthening; US-Armenia relations, democracy in Armenia, the development of Artsakh and advocacy for a just and truthful representation of the Armenian Genocide. The delegation presented the Congressman with a copy of “The Morgenthau Story” DVD which they have been distributing to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. The Congressman thanked the ACA for their efforts and diligence.
