Last Updated on Monday, 26 July 2010 13:30 Written by Harut Sassounian Friday, 09 July 2010 00:00

During her visit to Armenia on July 5, U.S. Secretary State Hillary Clinton placed a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Monument at Tsitsernakaberd in Yerevan. Regrettably, however, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia issued a press release describing the visit as “private.” By using such a characterization, U.S. officials were trying to preempt any backlash from the Turkish government.

In my opinion, the State Department mishandled Secretary Clinton’s visit to the Armenian Genocide Monument. Here are the reasons why:

There was no need to downplay the visit by characterizing it as “private,” since such visits are standard procedure for foreign dignitaries visiting Armenia.

Paying a visit to the Genocide Monument does not necessarily imply recognition of the Armenian Genocide, as all previous and current U.S. Ambassadors have visited this site every April 24.

Secretary Clinton’s visit to the Genocide Monument could not have been described as “private,” since it was a part of her “official” visit to Armenia.

The characterization of the visit as “private” was contradicted by the fact that the ribbons on the wreath she laid at the Genocide Monument carried the inscription: “From Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.”

Clinton’s visit the day before to the “Alley of the Martyrs” in Baku was not described as “private,” creating the disturbing impression that U.S. interests in Azerbaijan’s oil weigh heavier than its humanitarian concerns for victims of genocide.

Another double standard was Clinton not allowing any Armenian government officials to accompany her to the Genocide Monument in Yerevan, while she was accompanied to the “Alley of Martyrs” in Baku by a Deputy Minister of Azerbaijan!

Clinton permitted neither the international press traveling with her nor the local Armenian media, except Armenian Public TV, to report on her visit to the Genocide Monument. Her action undermines her advocacy for media freedom.

There was no reason for Secretary Clinton to be coy about Genocide recognition, since Pres. Reagan had acknowledged it in 1981, and the U.S. House of Representatives had recognized it in 1975 and 1984.

Even though the State Department downgraded Secretary Clinton’s visit to the Monument, Armenian officials did their best to publicize it as much as possible! This time they acted more decisively than last May, when Mevlut Cavusoglu — Turkish President of Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly — refused to visit the Genocide Monument. They insisted that the Secretary add to her itinerary a stop at the Genocide Monument. They then arranged for Armenian Public TV and other TV stations to repeatedly air the video of Clinton’s July 5 visit to the Monument.

In addition, the website of the State-owned Armenian Genocide Museum prominently featured Clinton’s visit by displaying photos of her wreath with ribbons that carried a visible inscription of her name and title, and an authentic medal issued by the American Near East Relief Committee that Museum Director Hayk Demoyan presented her. Pointing across the Turkish border, Demoyan told Secretary Clinton that Mount Ararat is “a symbol of Armenia.” In addition to explaining the basic facts of the Armenian Genocide, Demoyan told her that the graves of heroes fallen in Artsakh (Karabakh) were located near the Monument, since Armenians consider that war to be a continuation of the Armenian Genocide. The Secretary was also given a historical photo in which Armenian children in the American orphanage of Alexandropol (Gumri) were standing in formation that spelled out the words: “AMERICA, WE THANK YOU.”

Clinton’s visit was both praised and criticized by Armenian-American organizations. The Armenian National Committee of America took Clinton to task for her “secret” visit to the Genocide Monument, while the Armenian Assembly of America commended her for the visit. Former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, told The California Courier that “Clinton’s visit was a small, but positive step forward.” The last Secretary of State to have visited Armenia was James Baker in 1992, who did not, however, make a stop at the Genocide Monument.

In my view, Secretary Clinton should be commended for making such a positive gesture, but also blamed for going to such lengths to downplay her visit to the Genocide Monument. Why was she so concerned about offending Turks who have brazenly undermined every major U.S. foreign policy initiative in recent months?

Unfortunately, Secretary Clinton, Vice President Biden and Pres. Obama have drifted far away from their campaign promises to recognize the Armenian Genocide! Clinton’s brief stop at the Genocide Monument on July 5 is a welcome first step that fell short of her solemn commitment to support recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Last Updated on Sunday, 25 July 2010 01:17 Saturday, 24 July 2010 09:39

The political forces of the NKR National Assembly – The Motherland, Democracy and AEF Dashnaktsutyun factions - came forth with a statement on ICJ ruling on Kosovo, which reads in part: “Based on the main principles of international law and the requirements of the USSR legislation, on December 10, 1991, the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic declared independence through a referendum.

In the course of the past twenty years the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has been preventing the military attacks of Azerbaijan, has achieved the conclusion of the ceasefire agreement and has established itself as a full-fledged democratic state. Our people aspire for the international recognition of independence.

On July 22 the International Court of Justice confirmed that the right of people to self-determination and its implementation do not violate any principle of general international law, including the principle of territorial integrity.”

The statement notes also that the political forces reconfirm the willingness of the people of Artsakh to solve the existing issues through peaceful negotiations based on international law.

Source: Public Radio of Armenia

Saturday, 24 July 2010 09:34

On July 24 the delegation headed by Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanayn left for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for a two-day visit. The delegation comprises Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, Lieutenant-General Enrico Apriamov, Head of the Defense Policy Department of the Ministry of Defense David Tonoyan, spiritual leader of the Armed Forces Vrtanes Archbishop Abrahamyan.

Within the framework of the visit the delegation met with Armenian peacekeeper, who carry out mission within the German forces under NATO northern command of the International Security Assistance Force in Afganistan (ISAF).

The Armenian Defense Minsiter will meet David Howell Petraeus, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander of the U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), Abdul Rahim Vardak, the Defense Minister of Afganistan, Sher Muhammad Karimi, the Chief of Army Staff of the Military of Afghanistan, the leadership of the ISAF Northern Command.

Source: Public Radio of Armenia

Last Updated on Friday, 23 July 2010 12:34 Friday, 23 July 2010 12:25

From the July 21st to the 22nd, within the framework of bilateral military cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Federal Republic of Germany and by the invitation of the Federal Minister of Defense Dr. Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg, the delegation headed by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia was on first ever official visit in Germany.

Minister Ohanyan started his visit with the meeting with the Armenian community in Cologne (21st of July), had official talks in the Bonn headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Defense, together with Dr zu Guttenberg visited General-Hans-Graf-Sponeck-Barracks in Germersheim, where the Armenian peacekeeping contingent was undertaking pre-deployment training for the mission in Afghanistan, had discussions with the members of Bundestag (Federal Parliament) and the Governor of Germersheim Dr Fritz Brechtel.

On the 21st of July, according to the well established tradition Minister Ohanyan visited the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Cologne where he met with the representatives of Armenian community in Germany. Armenian delegation was greeted by the Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan and parishioners. Mr. Ohanyan presented to the Armenian community the history of the formation of the Armenian Army, talked about the challenges Armenia faces and the accomplishments that Armenian Armed Forces have had during the war and peace times. Members of the community presented to the minister the history of the Armenian community Germany, asked questions about the security and political situation in Armenia and shared the challenges that they have as a community.

On the 22nd of July, the Armenian delegation headed to the Federal Ministry of Defense in Bonn. After the official honouring ceremony, the delegations proceeded to a meeting where the negotiations took place between the Armenian Delegation, headed by the Minister of Defense Mr. Ohanyan, and German delegation headed by the Christian Schmidt, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Defense. The main questions on the discussion table were the matters of bilateral defense cooperation, cooperation in the framework of the NATO led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, cooperation with the framework of the European Union and the regional security challenges. The sides valued the high level of defense cooperation between the two defense agencies, emphasized the importance that the sides attached to the joint mission in Afghanistan and agreed to explore possibilities to enlarge the bilateral cooperation plan, which is already very inclusive. The main fields of cooperation between the two militaries are military education, military medicine, military justice, military administration and the development of peacekeeping and command and control capabilities.

After constructive discussions Armenian delegation flew to the Germersheim, where the delegation was met by the Federal Minister of Defense Dr. Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg. Together, the ministers visited General-Hans-Graf-Sponeck-Barracks training centre, where the second Armenian peacekeeping contingent was being trained for their upcoming mission in Afghanistan. During the visit, delegations received a briefing about the training centre and the pre-deployment training program of Armenian peacekeepers. Ministers toured around the training facilities, observing Armenian and Germans during training. After that each minister met with his troops. During the meeting with the Armenian contingent, Minister Ohanyan shared his views on Armenian participation in international peacekeeping missions and discussed about the conditions of their service.

During the discussions special attention was paid to the current issues in the sphere of armament control, as well as the negotiation process around the agreement of Associating Armenia with the EU. They emphasized the importance of the development of cooperation in these spheres.

After that the ministers gave a press conference to a national and international media representatives, where both ministers conveyed their positive impressions of the constructive talks, a high standard of training facilities and positive assessment of the development of the bilateral relations. In the end the Minister Ohanyan invited Minister zu Guttenberg to visit Armenia with on an official visit.

Source: Republic of Armenia Ministry of Defense Department of Information and Public Affairs and Public Radio of Armenia

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