US AMBASSADOR ON OBAMA’S APRIL 24 STATEMENT
August 27, 2013 | 12:38
The annual April 24 statement of President Obama on Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day does not deny any of the facts, US Ambassador said.
Ambassador John Heffern was introduced by The Politic, the Yale
journal of politics, and commented on Obama’s campaign promise to
pronounce the G-word.
“It [statement] does not deny any of the facts. It clearly states that
1.5 million Armenians were massacred or were marshaled to death in
the final days of the Ottoman Empire. It refers to these actions as
one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. It acknowledges the
facts, and in our view, there is no dispute over the facts,” he said.
Ambassador Heffern noted that the fact how the government characterizes
this period is a policy decision, and the U.S.policy is to promote
reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey.
“Certainly, Armenia needs that Turkish border open, needs diplomatic
relations with its neighbor. It is in a semi-isolated state [that]
is very detrimental to the state and to the economy. So U.S. policy is
reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey. The President and Secretary
of State – Secretaries Clinton and now Kerry – select and use words
that they believe will promote that reconciliation, and that is why
they have chosen the words they used.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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