Detroit, MI

April 25, 2004

Reverend Fathers,

Representative McCotter,

Mayor Kilpatrick,

Dear compatriots:

Every year on April 24, it is my solemn privilege to speak at the Commemorations of the Armenian Genocide at different venues in the United States. It is a tragic day for the Armenian people, and the wounds of the Genocide are not fully healed yet. I am honored to be in the presence of distinguished audience and friends of Armenia today. I want to thank the members of the Armenian American community of Detroit for organizing this event.

We are here today to commemorate the 89 th anniversary of the events that marked the beginning of deportation and mass killings of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire. The year 1915 was the culmination of the Ottoman genocidal policy of ethnic cleansings and massacres of Armenians. The scale and scope of atrocities committed during the Armenian genocide made it an unprecedented historical tragedy, but, unfortunately, it was not the last genocide of the twentieth century. The Jewish Holocaust, the Genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda, a score of massacres and atrocities committed on the pretext of false theories of racial, ethnic, or religious domination during the twentieth century constitute a serious blemish on the record of human civilization.

As a representative of the Armenian Government, I want to reiterate our commitment to promote a greater international acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, which remains on the foreign policy agenda of Armenia. We believe that the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide will serve the dual purpose of exposing the first Genocide of the XX century and better prevention of new genocides. Next year, we will commemorate the 90 th anniversary of the Genocide, and the government of Armenia has established a special commission for coordinating the commemoration activities.

The international community increasingly realizes that the Genocide is the most serious crime against humanity. This January, government officials, researchers, historians, and public figures attended an important conference in Stockholm on the issue of prevention and punishment of the crime of Genocide. This is a worthy goal, a sign of maturity of the international community of nations. As a nation subjected to the first Genocide of the twentieth century, we fully support the international efforts to prevent and punish the perpetrators of Genocide anywhere on this planet. A greater acknowledgement of the Genocide by the community of nations raises the standards to which Turkey is aspiring to achieve and will ultimately promote the understanding of the issue in Turkey proper.

Prevention of Genocides requires more than the political will of the international community. It is also imperative that the past instances be recognized and acknowledged properly, first of all in the countries where such tragic crimes have been committed in the past. Germany’s current role as an important and respected member of the European Union would have been unthinkable without the full acknowledgement and repentance by the German people for the crimes committed during the Holocaust and the Second World War. The Armenian Genocide has been recognized by many countries and international organizations, including the European Parliament, France, Russia, Switzerland, Uruguay, Argentina, Greece, Cyprus, Sweden, Lebanon, and now, Canada. 33 American states have recognized the Genocide, and we all hope that some day the United States Congress will do, too. So, modern-day Turkey’s acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide should, in my opinion, be an important criterion in determining the level of democratic development of that country, of its eligibility to become an integral part of unified Europe.

For the Republic of Armenia, however, the recognition of the Armenian genocide carries additional importance, relating to the national security and regional stability. Such recognition by Turkey will be a firm guarantee that Turkey and Armenia can live together in peace as neighbors, which will be a major factor securing stability and regional cooperation in the Caucasus. Since its independence, Armenia has continuously shown its readiness to establish good-neighborly, diplomatic relations with Turkey. Yet, the Turkish border is still closed, Turkey blindly supports Azerbaijan’s inflexible position on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, and has even issued threats of force during the military phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Still, the dialog between the governments of Armenia and Turkey continues. In this context, historic justice, reconciliation, and peaceful coexistence are not abstract theories but essential parameters in the rapprochement between the Armenian and Turkish peoples.

The message of the Genocide, however, transcends the national security and global concerns. It is foremost the message of survival, perseverance, and triumph. An ‘enterprising Armenian’ is not a cliché but a testimony to the Armenian spirit and industry, whether in homeland or in foreign lands that gave refuge to the victims of the Genocide.

Eighty-nine years after 1915, there is an independent Armenia and an active Armenian Diaspora community. When Armenia reestablished its independence in 1991, we vowed to build a free, prosperous, and strong Armenia that will never again allow oppression and genocide against the Armenian people. We therefore believe that the national task of today is to spare no effort in order to build a stable and secure nation at peace with itself, and at peace with its neighbors, an inspiration for all the Armenians.

One legacy of the Genocide is the Diaspora. Millions of Armenians found refuge in foreign lands creating strong, prosperous and vibrant communities. In the United States alone, there are more than one million Armenian-Americans, and everyone admires the spirit, vitality, and strength of their community. The Armenian-American community provides the human link and the foundation for the excellent bilateral relations between our countries. Over the last century, the United States Government extended critical and vital assistance to Armenia in time of need, and since reestablishment of independence in 1991, the people and the Government of the United States have been steady partners in promoting Armenia’s democracy and economic development.

The strength of U.S.-Armenian relations is based on shared values and human links. Consequently, Armenia has fully supported and assisted U.S.-led campaign to combat international terrorism and prevent the proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction. For the last three years, U.S.-Armenian military and security cooperation has augmented the traditionally strong political and economic ties between our countries.

Armenia appreciates the mediation effort of the United States in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Armenia remains committed to a peaceful and just settlement of the conflict, which will require strong commitment from all parties to the conflict as well as a serious international effort to promote regional and post-conflict rehabilitation projects.

Armenia’s accession to WTO, its solid economic performance in the last three years, and strong growth in U.S.-Armenian trade and investment flows that are beneficial to both sides are signs that the Armenian economic reforms are on the right track. The increased trade is the result of greater investment and commercial involvement of the Armenian American community. Nevertheless, external constraints such as the blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan are still major factors that require constant nurturing of Armenia’s economic and political development, and Armenia looks forward to working with the Diaspora to address its many challenges. The Diaspora, through individuals or organizations, can and should do more to promote Armenia’s economic growth and development of civil society.

The Armenian people have lived with the reality of genocide for 89 years, and the memories of a lost ancestral home and of so many victims have inspired generation after generation of Armenians, before their dreams of a newly independent homeland came true. We are confident in our determination to build a strong and prosperous Armenia, which, I believe, will be the best memorial to the martyrs of the Genocide.