HARUT SASSOUNIAN: WE SHOULD BE CONSISTENT IN ARMENIAN CAUSE

HARUT SASSOUNIAN: WE SHOULD BE CONSISTENT IN ARMENIAN CAUSE

YEREVAN, May 13 (Noyan Tapan). The May 12 meeting of Harut Sassounian, editor-in-chief of the California Courier newspaper, founder of the United Armenian Fund, Deputy Chairman of the Lincy Foundation, with students of the Yerevan State University was dedicated to positions of the international community about the Armenian Genocide and presentation of the further steps of Armenia and the Diaspora in this issue.

Strictly condemning the well-known speech of Ambassador of Great Britain Thorda Abbott-Watt that it is inexpediently to qualify the 1915 events as Genocide, Harut Sassounian stressed: "Our objective is not to accuse the Ambassador, we should mention here the importance of struggle of the Armenian people and the leadership of Armenia in order that the memory of our victims wasn't compromised, and the second is that we should exactly protect the demands of the Armenian Cause." According to him, "owing to a racket kicked up in connection with the British Ambassador's statement all the Ambassadors realized that the issue of the Genocide is quite serious and delicate."

As for Thorda Abbott-Watt's statement that the Armenian Genocide doesn't correspond to the UN Convention on Genocide, Harut Sasunian mentioned that he worked with the UN for a long time and stated that the Armenian Genocide corresponds to all the five requirements of the Convention.

He noted that the Armenians should attentively watch the processes taking place in the world, and one shouldn't be mistaken that the US is engaged in Iraq and will not pay attention to the issue of the Armenian Genocide: "We should carry out our lobbing and shouldn't see what the US says."

Answering the question "What are the next steps of Armenia and the Diaspora after Turkey's recognition of the Armenian Genocide?" Harut Sassounian mentioned that in this case the Armenians will demand that the issue of financial compensation, return of lands and the issue of territories should be resolved. "If this day comes, I'm sure it will come, we shouldn't think that the Turks yield to us recognizing the Genocide, but it isn't a concession, but reality."

Harut Sassounian said that, of course, Turkey is a mighty power today, but it doesn't mean that we should refuse from struggle: "We should be consistent in the Armenian Cause, none of the mighty states can be mighty forever, let's remember the history."

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