I Want to Express Words of Appreciation on Behalf of the Armenian People to All Members of the US Senate: Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan led a discussion in the government today on the Defense Ministry's budget allocations for 2020. The Prime Minister addressed the resolution passed by the US Senate recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

“The US Senate has unanimously recognized the Armenian Genocide and adopted a resolution condemning it. I want to express words of gratitude on behalf of the Armenian people to all members of the US Senate, and I also want to extend my appreciation to the members of the House of Representatives. You know that in late October, the House of Representatives also adopted a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. I want to thank the Armenian community in the US, all the organizations and individuals who contributed to the establishment of this important and historical decision, and I congratulate the Armenian people on this historic victory of truth, which opens a new chapter for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and brings this process to a new level.

We have repeatedly stated that the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is important for us not only in terms of establishing historical truth but also as a crucial component of the global movement for the prevention of genocides. You are aware that at Armenia's initiative, the United Nations accepted December 9 as the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and for the Prevention of this Crime. But it is important to note, as we have reiterated several times, that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide also has a security component for us, and this process is significant for the security of our country and people.

I want to emphasize that it is not the genocide of 1915, but Turkey's denialist policy that compels us to recognize that Turkey continues to pose a threat to the Armenian people and the Republic of Armenia; more precisely, it is that policy that threatens the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people. As you know, for a very long time, almost 30 years, Turkey has continued to keep its border with Armenia closed, and these phenomena, these realities are continuities of one another. I believe that the decisions made by the United States and several other countries also reflect Turkey's destructive and aggressive policies in the region.

Let’s look at what is happening in our region: Turkey's aggressive policies towards Syria, Iraq, Cyprus, and Greece, while maintaining a blockade against Armenia, all highlight the role that Turkey plays in our region today. In this regard, I think the international community also needs to express a clear position regarding Turkey’s actions and encourage Turkey to reconsider its role in our region.

Like all previous governments of the Republic of Armenia, our government also affirms that we are ready to establish relations with Turkey without preconditions. Moreover, we have stated that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not an agenda item in our relations with Turkey. The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is primarily necessary for Turkey within the framework of the functions I have mentioned, in order for Turkey to reconsider its role in our region, which, unfortunately, is receiving certain historical echoes with the events of the early 20th century and earlier. And I mentioned the title associated with December 9: 'The Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and for the Prevention of this Crime.' Yes, it may seem strange at first glance that the victims of genocide also have the issue of protecting their dignity, but the Turkish president’s disgraceful and cynical statements this year regarding the victims of the Armenian Genocide have proved that such protection is necessary. And when this resolution was accepted at the UN, perhaps at that time it would have been difficult to predict that such events and statements would occur that would fully justify the appropriateness of such a formulation,” the Prime Minister stated.