U.S. congressmen urge for adequate assessment of Genocide (updated)

PanARMENIAN.Net - A group of the U.S. congressmen commemorated the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Ed Royce (R-CA), Eliot Engel (D-NY), David Cicilline (D-RI1), and Lois Frankel (D-FL22) laid flowers to the Genocide memorial in Yerevan.

As the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Ed Royce told journalists later, unless adequate assessment is given to the 1915 massacres, no correct actions are to be expected in future. "The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the last century, with Hitler drawing on the Armenian massacres when planning the Holocaust."

Congressmen Eliot Engel expressed his solidarity with Armenia in its Genocide recognition campaign, calling Turkey to come to terms with its history.

The congressmen also met Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian who hailed their efforts in promoting the Genocide recognition.

The congressmen, in turn, vowed to contribute to the development of ties with Armenia, based on mutual trust.

At the meeting, the official briefed the gusts on Armenia's foreign policy priorities, its stance on regional and international problems and Yerevan-OSCE Minsk Group efforts for the Karabakh conflict settlement.

Later in the day, the congressmen met President Serzh Sargsyan, thanking them for sharing the tragedy of Armenian people on the Genocide commemoration day.

The President also thanked the U.S. for continuous assistance to economic development of Armenia, promotion of reforms and democracy in the country and active involvement in issues vital to Armenia.

Congressman Royce further slammed Turkey’s distortion of historic events, noting that the subject of the Armenian Genocide is covered in American textbooks. In conclusion the guests expressed readiness to contribute to the development of ties with Armenia.