Opposition leader urges Armenia not to take US envoy's remark at face value
Arminfo
2 Mar 05
YEREVAN
The statement by the US ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, that
Nagornyy Karabakh cannot be given back to Azerbaijan and that the
massacre of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in the early 20th century can
be classified as genocide could have been made intentionally in order
to please the 1m-strong Armenian community of the USA and perhaps even
Armenia itself, the leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia, Aram
Sarkisyan, told Arminfo today.
He said the 1m-strong Armenian community of the USA is actively
involved in the country's public and political life and of course it
is in the interests of the US administration to have its support. He
added that it would be wrong to take the ambassador's statements at
face value or hope that the US policy to Armenia has changed.
Aram Sarkisyan said the ambassador's statement only reflected his own
opinion, while Washington's opinion has repeatedly been voiced by the
US State Department which recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity and refuses to see the developments of the early last
century in Ottoman Turkey as genocide.
"It is wrong to think on the basis of the ambassador's statement that
the US position towards its strategic partner, Turkey, has changed,"
the DPA leader said.
Arminfo
2 Mar 05
YEREVAN
The statement by the US ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, that
Nagornyy Karabakh cannot be given back to Azerbaijan and that the
massacre of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in the early 20th century can
be classified as genocide could have been made intentionally in order
to please the 1m-strong Armenian community of the USA and perhaps even
Armenia itself, the leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia, Aram
Sarkisyan, told Arminfo today.
He said the 1m-strong Armenian community of the USA is actively
involved in the country's public and political life and of course it
is in the interests of the US administration to have its support. He
added that it would be wrong to take the ambassador's statements at
face value or hope that the US policy to Armenia has changed.
Aram Sarkisyan said the ambassador's statement only reflected his own
opinion, while Washington's opinion has repeatedly been voiced by the
US State Department which recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity and refuses to see the developments of the early last
century in Ottoman Turkey as genocide.
"It is wrong to think on the basis of the ambassador's statement that
the US position towards its strategic partner, Turkey, has changed,"
the DPA leader said.