ARPI VARDANIAN: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MAKES PART OF HISTORY OF THE U.S. AS WELL

Noyan Tapan
April 23, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 23, NOYAN TAPAN. As previously, the Armenian community
of the U.S. demands that the U.S. administration should recognize
the fact of the genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire," Arpi
Vardanian, the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) Regional Director for
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, said in an interview with Noyan Tapan.

She assessed as wrong the position of some Congressmen who consider
it inappropriate to recognize the Genocide at the given moment: "The
Armenian Genocide makes part of the history of the U.S. as well,"
Arpi Vardanian stated.

In her words, one should hope that President Bush who is finishing
his term of office will finally keep his pre-election promise and
will use the word "genocide" (instead of the other wordings used so
far) in his annual speech to Armenians of the U.S. A. Vardanian said
that although the U.S. presidents have not used the word "genocide"
they did not deny its fact either.

She expressed her doubt on the possibility of discussion of resolution
106 by the House of Representatives in April: the issue of discussing
this resolution has not been taken off the agenda but it is still
unclear when its discussion will be held.

To recap, the draft resolution 106 calls on the U.S. president to
ensure adequate perception of the Armenian Genocide and its reflection
in the foreign policy of the U.S.

The new draft is called "House resolution" as approval of the House of
Representatives is required for its adoption – neither approval of the
Senate nor president’s signature are necessary for its final adoption.

On October 10, 2007, the House of Representatives Committee for Foreign
Affairs voted for adoption of resolution No 106 on recognition of
the Armenian Genocide with 27 votes for and 21 votes against. In
accordance with the procedure, after being adopted, the resolution
shall be put on the agenda of a sitting of the House.