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Washington, D.C. - The Armenian Assembly of America welcomes the President’s statement on the Armenian Genocide and putting on record the systematic massacres of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey.
The Assembly deeply thanks the Biden-Harris Administration, Congress, and all of the key figures in decades past who committed to cementing an honest U.S. policy on the Armenian Genocide. We also thank profoundly elected officials, scholars, human rights proponents, and all individuals and organizations who believe in the importance of human rights education and genocide prevention.
The first recorded Armenian in America settled with the Jamestown Colony in 1607. Armenian Americans and their families are now approaching 2 million, primarily as a result of the Armenian Genocide. The permanent American ties with Armenia and Artsakh – based on real shared values including democracy—are now at a critical point, as the Aliyev regime in Azerbaijan, along with the Erdogan regime in Turkey, are progressing toward eliminating Armenian populations and culture which have stood for millennia.
In an April 22, 1982 proclamation, President Ronald Reagan warned that the lessons of the Armenian Genocide must not be forgotten. We know that the current Administration has privately recognized that Armenians again face genocide. President Biden included a similar, timely message “to remember and to ensure that genocide like the one that happened 108 years ago is never again repeated.” This is a call for additional action to defend Armenians at risk as we look forward to a strong United States role in heeding the words of both Presidents, and all people of good faith, with concrete actions to stop Genocide against Armenians, and around the world.
“As we commemorate the first genocide of the 20th century, we must ensure that history does not repeat itself and prevent a second Armenian Genocide from happening,” stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "We urge the United States and the international community to take additional steps to defend Armenians at risk."
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
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