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 SAN
JOSE, CA (Armenian Weekly)–Representatives from five prominent
Bay Area Armenian-American organizations met on November 6 with
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, who was in Silicon
Valley from November 5-8 attending the government sponsored
ArmTech Congress ‘09.
The leadership of the Bay Area Armenian
National Committee, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation,
Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Society, HMEM
Armenian Athletic organization, KZV Armenian School, and St.
Gregory Armenian church met the Prime Minister, Consul General
and Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. to express the grave concern
and disappointment of the majority of community members
regarding the “Protocols” recently signed by the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Turkey, for the establishment of
diplomatic relations.
The Bay Area delegation strongly urged the
Armenian government representatives to do everything in their
power to prevent ratification of the Protocols. They explained
that although they are in favor of normalizing relations between
Armenia and Turkey, the conditions written into the Protocols
(including the formation of an “historical commission” and
points relating to existing boundaries), seriously undermine
Armenia’s legal rights and the viability of the Armenian state
in the future, and that they cannot lead to true reconciliation,
nor a stable relationship between the two states.
The Prime Minister spoke at length, defending
the President’s signing of the Protocols, saying that they were
good for Armenia; that Turkey would recognize the Armenian
Genocide of its own volition; that Turkey’s process of reforms
to enter the European Union will be a positive development for
Armenia.
Sargsyan described the normalization process
as a “new reality” in regards to Turkish-Armenian relations. The
Bay Area representatives expressed their appreciation for the
opportunity to discuss their concerns, reiterating their
opposition to the current government’s harmful course.
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