|
April 24, 2003 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 moral support of our friends around the world is comforting. I am honored to be in the presence of distinguished audience and friends of Armenia tonight. I want to thank the members of the Connecticut House of Representatives and the members of the Armenian American community of Connecticut for organizing this event. We are here today to commemorate the 88th 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. Last Sunday, we celebrated the holy feast of Easter, with its eternal and vital message of triumph of life over death and of good over evil. The horror, pain, and destruction unleashed against the Armenians in 1915 was great; but even greater was our will to survive, persevere, and endure. 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-eight years later we have an independent Armenia and an active Armenian Diaspora community. Yet the Genocide of 1915 is still very much on the mind of our nation. Millions of Armenians found refuge in foreign lands creating strong, prosperous and vibrant communities. In the United States, 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. When Armenia reestablished its independence in 1991, we the citizens of the new Republic 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. 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. Today, our audience includes a distinguished professor, public official, and former Dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut Dr. Nancy Humphreys, who has done much to support Armenia’s education and social services. Her dedication to Armenia is symbolic of the deep ties that exist between our countries. The strength of U.S.-Armenian relations is not only based on shared values and human links; it is also deeply rooted in common interests around the globe. 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. Armenia is ready to provide assistance to the post-conflict rehabilitation and stabilization of Iraq. For the last two years, U.S.-Armenian military and security cooperation has augmented the traditionally strong political and economic ties between our countries. We hope to further strengthen the security component of our relations, as U.S. military assistance to Armenia will help our armed forces upgrade its capabilities. 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 United States to address its many challenges with the help of U.S. assistance programs that we hope will continue at the comparable level. U.S.-Armenian economic and commercial relations will continue to grow, and we will work together to institutionalize and place them on solid foundation of mutual benefit and intergovernmental agreements. 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. For Armenia, it serves a humanistic, noble purpose of upholding historical justice. I am grateful to the State of Connecticut for having recognized the Armenian Genocide and included it in the general history curricula. From the regional context, the Genocide is a complex issue that affects the establishment of a bilateral relationship between Armenia and Turkey, which will be a major factor securing stability and regional cooperation in the Caucasus. Armenia is ready to continue interstate dialogue with the Republic of Turkey and establish diplomatic relations. 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. Historic justice, reconciliation, and peaceful coexistence are not abstract theories but essential parameters in the rapprochement between the Armenian and Turkish peoples. We hope that the vision of a better future and new thinking will gain hold in our societies. The Armenian people have lived with the reality of genocide for 88
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.
|