Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ANCA: Kerry Calls for International Recognition of Armenian Genocide

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ANCA: Kerry Calls for International Recognition of Armenian Genocide

    Armenian National Committee of America
    888 17th Street, NW, Suite 904
    Washington, DC 20006
    Tel. (202) 775-1918
    Fax. (202) 775-5648
    [email protected]

    PRESS RELEASE
    April 22, 2004
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    SEN. KERRY CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

    -- Democratic Presidential Hopeful Outlines Strong History of
    Support for Armenian American Concerns in April 24th statement

    -- Senator's Record on Armenian Issues Detailed on
    www.armeniansforkerry.com

    WASHINGTON, DC Democratic Presidential hopeful, Sen. John Kerry,
    called for international recognition of the Armenian Genocide
    today, in a statement issued to Armenian Americans marking the 89th
    anniversary of that crime against humanity, reported the Armenian
    National Committee of America (ANCA).

    An outspoken advocate of U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
    Senator Kerry stated "I join Armenian Americans and Armenians
    worldwide in mourning the victims of the Armenian Genocide and I
    call on governments and people everywhere to formally recognize
    this tragedy. Only by learning from this dark period of history
    and working to prevent future genocides can we truly honor the
    memories of those Armenians who suffered so unjustly." Earlier
    this week, Senator Kerry joined 22 of his Senate colleagues calling
    on President Bush to "refer to the mass slaughter of Armenians as
    genocide in your commemorative statement." He was amongst the
    earliest cosponsors of the Genocide resolution (S.Res.164), which
    marks the 15th anniversary of the U.S. implementation of the
    Genocide Convention.

    "With this most recent statement honoring the victims of the
    Armenian Genocide, Sen. Kerry builds on his two decade long record
    of support for proper U.S. recognition of this crime against
    humanity," stated Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the
    Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA.) "This election
    season, we look forward to ensuring that our community is fully
    aware of the Senator's record on the Armenian Genocide and all
    issues of concern to Armenian American voters."

    In the statement, Sen. Kerry outlined his longstanding support for
    a broad range of Armenian American concerns. "In 1992, I authored
    an amendment to the Freedom Support Act making U.S. aid to
    Azerbaijan conditional on it taking steps to end its blockades
    against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. I supported the Humanitarian
    Aid Corridor Act in 1996, which prohibits U.S. assistance to any
    country that restricts the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid to
    another country. In 2003, I cosponsored legislation to extend
    "permanent normal trade relations" (PNTR) to Armenia. This
    January, I joined Senators Barbara Boxer, George Allen, Paul
    Sarbanes, Russ Feingold, and Jon Corzine in asking the President to
    urge Turkey to lift its embargo of Armenia."

    Senator Kerry's complete record on Armenian American concerns is
    posted on the Armenians For Kerry website: www.armeniansforkerry.com
    The website includes previous statements by the Senator and provides
    ways for Armenian American supporters to become active in the Kerry
    campaign through donations or other volunteer efforts.

    The complete text of Sen. Kerry's statement follows.

    #####

    Statement by Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry
    In Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide

    "April 24th marks the 89th anniversary of the beginning of the
    Armenian Genocide. Between 1915 and 1923 the rulers of the old
    Ottoman Empire killed or deported over 1.5 million Armenian men,
    women and children in a systematic policy of ethnic determination."

    "I thank Armenian Americans for their persistence in the struggle
    to gain international recognition of this atrocity. By keeping the
    memory of this tragedy alive, Armenian Americans remind us all of
    our collective responsibility to insure that such horrors are not
    repeated. I am proud of my work with the Armenian American
    community to gain broader recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
    including fighting alongside Senator Robert Dole in 1990 for
    designation of April 24 as a national day of remembrance for this
    tragedy."

    "I have been an unwavering supporter of many other important
    Armenian issues. In 1992, I authored an amendment to the Freedom
    Support Act making U.S. aid to Azerbaijan conditional on it taking
    steps to end its blockades against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. I
    supported the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act in 1996 which prohibits
    U.S. assistance to any country that restricts the delivery of U.S.
    humanitarian aid to another country. In 2003, I cosponsored
    legislation to extend "permanent normal trade relations" (PNTR) to
    Armenia. This January, I joined Senators Barbara Boxer, George
    Allen, Paul Sarbanes, Russ Feingold, and Jon Corzine in asking the
    President to urge Turkey to lift its embargo of Armenia."

    "I join Armenian Americans and Armenians worldwide in mourning the
    victims of the Armenian Genocide and I call on governments and
    people everywhere to formally recognize this tragedy. Only by
    learning from this dark period of history and working to prevent
    future genocides can we truly honor the memories of those Armenians
    who suffered so unjustly."


    #####
Working...
X