Mkrtich Minasyan: U.S. will recognize Armenian Genocide sooner or later

February 19, 2010 - 17:43 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net -
Armenian-Turkish Protocols are in the interests of Armenia, a member of the Republican Party of Armenia said.

“Absence of diplomatic relations and closed borders between neighbor states are inadmissible in the 21st century,” Mkrtich Minasyan told a news conference in Yerevan. “Nevertheless, if Armenia decides to ratify the protocols ahead of Turkey, it should first pass a law on withdraw of signature in case Turkey rejects ratification.”

As to the oncoming vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolutions, H.Res.252, at the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr. Minasyan said that the “U.S. will recognize the Armenian Genocide sooner or later.”

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.

The Republican Party of Armenia

The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent Armenia to be founded (2 April 1990) and registered (14 May 1991). It is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have 140,000 members. The party controls most government bodies in Armenia.

At the 2003 parliamentary elections on May 25, the party received 23.5% of the popular vote, winning 31 out of 131 seats. At the last parliamentary elections on May 12, 2007, the party received 33.91% of the popular vote, winning 64 out of 131 seats. The former prime minister, Andranik Markaryan, was the leader of the party. Current President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, is the chairman of HHK board.

The Republican Party's national conservative ideology is based on tsegakron, an early 20th century Armenian nationalist ideology (roughly translated as "nation-religion"). It was formulated by Garegin Njdeh and holds that the Armenian national identity and state should carry religious significance for all ethnic Armenians.