PRESS RELEASE
April 24, 2008

Embassy of Armenia Leads Genocide Commemoration in Washington

On April 23, the Congressional Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide was held in the United States Congress. The commemorative event was co-sponsored by the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, the Embassy of Armenia, and the Armenian-American organizations, and was attended by the Congressional leadership and numerous Members of Congress, Congressional staffers, heads of the Armenian religious, political, and community organizations, members of the Armenian-American community and friends of Armenia. Speakers at the event included Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs, Representatives Frank Pallone and Joe Knollenberg, other Members of Congress, while President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars Dr. Gregory Stanton served as the keynote speaker.

In his official address, Ambassador Tatoul Markarian noted that the passage of H. Res. 106 in the House Foreign Relations Committee as well the discussion itself was unprecedented in that the Committee members, irrespective of their vote, were unanimous in acknowledging the fact of the Armenian Genocide. He noted that newly-elected President of Armenia, Mr. Serzh Sargsyan reiterated that while making no preconditions for normalizing bilateral relations with Turkey, the issue of international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide would remain on Armenia’s foreign policy agenda.

On April 24, 2007, the Armenian Embassy marked the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide with a special ceremony at the Armenian Khachkar located on the Embassy premises. As in previous years, flowers and wreaths were placed at the Khachkar by Armenian-American organizations and individual Armenians from the Greater Washington metropolitan area, including the Armenian communities in Richmond, VA and Baltimore, MD. In his remarks, Ambassador Tatoul Markarian noted the importance of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and noted that all Armenians should rally around the Armenian statehood, which is the best guarantee of implementing Armenia’s national agenda, including strong and democratic homeland, defending the independence of Artsakh, and Genocide recognition. A memorial service to honor the victims of the Genocide was conducted by the pastors of St. Mary’s and Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Churches of Washington, D.C.