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ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
August 23, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Email: [email protected]
OBAMA/BIDEN DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL TICKET STRONG ON GENOCIDE
RECOGNITION; U.S.-ARMENIA RELATIONS
WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
welcomed Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama's
announcement of longtime Armenian American issues supporter, Sen.
Joe Biden as his choice for Vice-President. Sen. Biden, who chairs
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been an outspoken
advocate of U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide and brings
the principled international leadership needed to meet the
challenges of the 21st Century.
"As we stated back in January, Armenian Americans, a community that
is deeply committed to a moral U.S. foreign policy and constructive
American engagement abroad, respect Senator Biden's leadership and,
today, we welcome his addition to the Democratic ticket," said
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
Elected to office in 1972, Senator Biden has been a voice of moral
clarity on issues of concern to the Armenian American community
including:
* Support for U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, dating
back to his work with Senator Bob Dole to pass the Armenian
Genocide Resolution (S.J.Res.212) in 1990, and stronger U.S.-
Armenia relations.
* A perennial supporter of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act,
adopted in 1992, which restricted U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan due
to its ongoing blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
* In May, 2007, Senator Biden, in response to a question from the
Los Angeles Times editorial board about the Armenian Genocide
Resolution (S.Res.106), said: "I support it, and the reason is
simple: I have found in my experience that you cannot have a solid
relationship with a country based on fiction. It occurred. It
occurred." Senator Biden has been cosponsor of every resolution
reaffirming the Armenian Genocide introduced in the Senate over the
past 20 years.
* In connection with his leadership in pressing the Administration
to explain its firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans,
and the controversy over the subsequent nomination of Dick Hoagland
in 2007, Senator Biden secured from the Administration a number of
commitments, among them that:
-- The next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia will meet extensively
with representatives of the Armenian American community before and
during their tenure in Yerevan.
-- The State Department will brief Members of Congress on its
efforts to promote Turkish recognition of the real history of the
Armenian Genocide.
-- U.S. ambassadors to Yerevan and Ankara would exchange
visits for the purpose of ending Turkey's economic blockade of
Armenia.
* He authored a resolution (S.Res.65), which was adopted in the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee by unanimous consent, to honor
journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in Turkey last year for
writing about the Armenian Genocide.
* In July, 2008, Sen. Biden reiterated his commitment to securing
U.S. and Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide in connection
with the nomination of U.S. Ambassador to Armenian Marie
Yovanovitch. "Recognition by the United States of the Armenian
Genocide is not the final goal. The real goal is the recognition
of Turkey - of the Turkish Government - of the Armenian Genocide
and the establishment of a common Turkish-Armenian understanding of
the events and tragedy that took place," stated Sen. Biden.
The ANCA endorsed Senator Obama in the Democratic primaries and
will announce its general election endorsement decision following
the Democratic and Republican primaries. The ANC of Iowa had
endorsed Sen. Joe Biden in his presidential election bid prior to
the Iowa primary earlier this year.
#####
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
August 23, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Email: [email protected]
OBAMA/BIDEN DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL TICKET STRONG ON GENOCIDE
RECOGNITION; U.S.-ARMENIA RELATIONS
WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
welcomed Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama's
announcement of longtime Armenian American issues supporter, Sen.
Joe Biden as his choice for Vice-President. Sen. Biden, who chairs
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been an outspoken
advocate of U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide and brings
the principled international leadership needed to meet the
challenges of the 21st Century.
"As we stated back in January, Armenian Americans, a community that
is deeply committed to a moral U.S. foreign policy and constructive
American engagement abroad, respect Senator Biden's leadership and,
today, we welcome his addition to the Democratic ticket," said
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
Elected to office in 1972, Senator Biden has been a voice of moral
clarity on issues of concern to the Armenian American community
including:
* Support for U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, dating
back to his work with Senator Bob Dole to pass the Armenian
Genocide Resolution (S.J.Res.212) in 1990, and stronger U.S.-
Armenia relations.
* A perennial supporter of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act,
adopted in 1992, which restricted U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan due
to its ongoing blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
* In May, 2007, Senator Biden, in response to a question from the
Los Angeles Times editorial board about the Armenian Genocide
Resolution (S.Res.106), said: "I support it, and the reason is
simple: I have found in my experience that you cannot have a solid
relationship with a country based on fiction. It occurred. It
occurred." Senator Biden has been cosponsor of every resolution
reaffirming the Armenian Genocide introduced in the Senate over the
past 20 years.
* In connection with his leadership in pressing the Administration
to explain its firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans,
and the controversy over the subsequent nomination of Dick Hoagland
in 2007, Senator Biden secured from the Administration a number of
commitments, among them that:
-- The next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia will meet extensively
with representatives of the Armenian American community before and
during their tenure in Yerevan.
-- The State Department will brief Members of Congress on its
efforts to promote Turkish recognition of the real history of the
Armenian Genocide.
-- U.S. ambassadors to Yerevan and Ankara would exchange
visits for the purpose of ending Turkey's economic blockade of
Armenia.
* He authored a resolution (S.Res.65), which was adopted in the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee by unanimous consent, to honor
journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in Turkey last year for
writing about the Armenian Genocide.
* In July, 2008, Sen. Biden reiterated his commitment to securing
U.S. and Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide in connection
with the nomination of U.S. Ambassador to Armenian Marie
Yovanovitch. "Recognition by the United States of the Armenian
Genocide is not the final goal. The real goal is the recognition
of Turkey - of the Turkish Government - of the Armenian Genocide
and the establishment of a common Turkish-Armenian understanding of
the events and tragedy that took place," stated Sen. Biden.
The ANCA endorsed Senator Obama in the Democratic primaries and
will announce its general election endorsement decision following
the Democratic and Republican primaries. The ANC of Iowa had
endorsed Sen. Joe Biden in his presidential election bid prior to
the Iowa primary earlier this year.
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