Ambassador Arman Kirakossian's remarks at the Congressional Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide
April 17, 2002

 

Dear Members of Congress,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honored to speak at the Commemoration tonight, in the presence of such a distinguished audience and friends of Armenia. I want to thank the Armenian National Committee of America for organizing this event. The ANC is among the most effective and dedicated Armenian American groups with an impressive grassroots network of committed activists and community members. I value our cooperation, and I believe we can do many things together for the benefit of the Armenian people.

We are here today to commemorate the 87th 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 Armenian genocide was an unprecedented event in the human history, but, unfortunately, it was not the last genocide of the twentieth century.

Eighty-seven years have passed since 1915, and today we are fortunate to have an independent Armenia and an active Armenian Diaspora community. Yet the Genocide of 1915 has left permanent scars in 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.

When Armenia reclaimed its independence in 1991, we the citizens of the new Republic resolved to build a free, prosperous, and strong Armenia that will never again allow a foreign oppressor to perpetrate 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.

While I am here today, I want to say how much we appreciate the generous support of the American people, which has helped us enormously in promoting democratic and economic development of Armenia during the last decade. We have always felt the support of the United States Congress for the cause of Armenia's independence, and we are very grateful for this. Our hearts went to the American people during the tragic days of last September. Armenia has helped and is helping the United States-led campaign against international terrorism in Afghanistan.

We want to thank the Members of the House of Representatives for their participation today and past efforts on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, and for the recent letter to President Bush urging recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

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.

From the regional context, the Genocide is a difficult issue that affects the development 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, without any preconditions. 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 ephemeral concepts but essential parameters in the rapprochement between the Armenian and Turkish peoples. The twenty-first century has begun, and 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 87 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 materialized. 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.

Thank you