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US WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE PAST WHILE CONTINUING WORK WITH REGIONAL PARTNERS - STATE DEP. REP. ON GENOCIDE ISSUE
11:56 * 23.04.15
An acting spokesperson for the US Department of State has as reiterated
the country's official position on the Armenian Genocide, practically
ruling out any language change in President Barack Obama's annual
address to the Armenians.
Speaking at the daily press briefing on Thursday, Marie Harf said
they find that the policies pursed are the right choice allowing the
country to both acknowledge the past and continue work with regional
partners (i.e. Turkey).
"I'm sure this is what the White House said too, but we know there
are some who I think were hoping to hear some different language
this year. We certainly understand their perspective. Even as we
believe that the approach we have taken in previous years remains
the right one - and again, the approach we're taking this year -
both for acknowledging the past and also for our ability to work with
regional partners to save lives in the future. So this is something
that we feel is important.
"The President has consistently stated his views about what happened
in 1915 and, again, we know people wanted to hear - some people wanted
to hear different language this year, and we are certainly aware of
that," she said.
Asked why President Barack Obama failed to fulfill his electoral
pledge to recognize the mass killings of the Armenians in Ottoman
Empire as genocide, Ms Harf refrained from giving any comments.
She also warned against comparing the Jewish Holocaust with the
Armenian Genocide when asked about the differences in the US attitudes
to the two major atrocities (that the US has officially recognized
the Holocaust but it hasn't affected its relations with Germany).
"I'm just not going to compare those two events. And I think we've
said what we're going to say on this. And I think you'll hear more
statements from the Administration on the anniversary itself. And I
don't have much more analysis of it to do for you today," she said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/04/23/usa/1655244
11:56 * 23.04.15
An acting spokesperson for the US Department of State has as reiterated
the country's official position on the Armenian Genocide, practically
ruling out any language change in President Barack Obama's annual
address to the Armenians.
Speaking at the daily press briefing on Thursday, Marie Harf said
they find that the policies pursed are the right choice allowing the
country to both acknowledge the past and continue work with regional
partners (i.e. Turkey).
"I'm sure this is what the White House said too, but we know there
are some who I think were hoping to hear some different language
this year. We certainly understand their perspective. Even as we
believe that the approach we have taken in previous years remains
the right one - and again, the approach we're taking this year -
both for acknowledging the past and also for our ability to work with
regional partners to save lives in the future. So this is something
that we feel is important.
"The President has consistently stated his views about what happened
in 1915 and, again, we know people wanted to hear - some people wanted
to hear different language this year, and we are certainly aware of
that," she said.
Asked why President Barack Obama failed to fulfill his electoral
pledge to recognize the mass killings of the Armenians in Ottoman
Empire as genocide, Ms Harf refrained from giving any comments.
She also warned against comparing the Jewish Holocaust with the
Armenian Genocide when asked about the differences in the US attitudes
to the two major atrocities (that the US has officially recognized
the Holocaust but it hasn't affected its relations with Germany).
"I'm just not going to compare those two events. And I think we've
said what we're going to say on this. And I think you'll hear more
statements from the Administration on the anniversary itself. And I
don't have much more analysis of it to do for you today," she said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/04/23/usa/1655244