June 21, 2007 - 18:53 AMT
Cory Welt: Armenian lobby not always appears to act in the best interests of Armenian nation
"I wouldn't say that the "Jewish lobby" serves as a proxy for a Turkish lobby in Washington, only that the "pro-Israel" lobby sometimes has interests that coincide with Turkish ones," Mr Cory Welt, Deputy Director and Fellow of Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.

"Regarding the Armenian lobby, I can say that it does not always appear to act in the best interests of the Armenian nation. U.S. attention to Armenian interests would be higher if the U.S. Congress confirmed the appointment of an ambassador to Armenia, and if Congress was more sensitive to the importance of maintaining close relations with Turkey as the United States enters a new stage in its relationship with Iraq. I understand the immense importance of genocide recognition to Armenia and Armenian-Americans, but if this goal interferes with fundamental elements of U.S.-Armenian and U.S.-Turkish relations, it risks worsening those relations to the detriment of all parties," he said.

  • Full text of the interview