U.S. State Department reaches understanding with Congress over Genocide resolution

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of State made it clear that any further congressional action will impede the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia. “We continue to believe that the best way for Turkey and Armenia is to address their shared past through their ongoing effort to normalize relations,” Philip J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State said at the briefing, commenting the decision of the U.S. State Department Committee on Foreign Affairs to adopt the Armenian Genocide resolution 252.

”The Secretary has talked to Hill officials and other officials. I think they understand our position,” he said.

Answering the question whether the State Department officials or Administration officials were making clear to people on the Hill that they didn’t want this to proceed for the last few weeks, Philip J. Crowley particularly said, “This is not an issue that has snuck up on anybody. This is an issue that we’ve gone through a number of times in the past. The Secretary made clear in a conversation with Chairman Berman earlier this week, but other officials have been talking to congressional staff for some time on this”. According to Philip J. Crowley, they have an understanding with congressional leaders on this issue, but Congress has a right to take action with its own body as it sees fit.

”We have made clear to them the risk. I think in the statements that various members made before the vote – I think they understood fully that their – the risk of this vote and the impact it was going to have in both political circles and in popular circles, particularly in these two countries, ” the Assistant Secretary of State stressed.

“We continue to press Turkey and Armenia to move ahead with the ratification of the protocols. We understand that this is difficult. We understand that these issues evoke very strong emotional reactions within both populations. That said, we think it is in everyone’s interest to see this process continue to move forward, and we will continue to press this case with these countries,” Philip J. Crowley concluded.

On March 4, US House Foreign Affairs Committee's passed a resolution recognizing and commemorating the Armenian Genocide. The resolution was passed by a vote of 23-22.