Meet Ambassador Yovanovitch

Published: Friday June 19, 2009

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In the coming days, Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S. ambassador to Armenia, will be visiting four major Armenian-American communities: Greater Boston, New York, Washington, and Southern California. She is actively pursuing a chance to confer with Armenian-Americans. We urge our readers in those communities to seize the opportunity and attend the meetings with Ambassador Yovanovitch.

The meetings will, first of all, be a chance for the ambassador to talk about the U.S.-Armenia relationship and to report on the numerous important and beneficial projects the U.S. government is pursuing in Armenia on behalf of the American people.

In an interview with the Armenian Reporter last week, Ms. Yovanovitch acknowledged that many Armenian-Americans "feel very strongly about Armenia" and are "doing various good works" there. She indicated that during community meetings she would talk about ways in which more Armenian-Americans can get involved with Armenia. These ways range from individual initiatives to participation in State Department humanitarian assistance programs to investing in private-public partnerships.

If you're not yet involved, the ambassador's visit is a good chance to get started. If you are involved, it will be an opportunity to explore new ways to participate.

The meetings will also be a chance to discuss with the ambassador the various thoughts we, as Armenian-Americans, have about the administration's efforts to further develop the U.S.-Armenia relationship and about U.S. policy in the region.

Armenia and Turkey

There is no doubt that President Obama's failure so far to call the Armenian Genocide by its proper name will be a major topic of discussion.

As we have said before, the president deserves praise for telling the Turkish parliament that Turkey must come to terms with its history regarding Armenians, and for his commitment, on April 24, to working toward Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

By the same token, President Obama deserves to be rebuked for his decision to frame this matter as one to be sorted out between the Armenian and Turkish people, and more specifically between Armenia and Turkey. The genocide is not only a bilateral, Armenia-Turkey issue, or an issue for negotiation. And the Turkish government, having shown no inclination whatsoever to come to terms with the Genocide, can be expected to use the process as nothing more than a delay tactic.

To lay the groundwork for the president's disappointing April 24 statement, the administration strongly urged the Armenian government to take steps that are hard to reconcile with Armenia's interests. The administration and the State Department pressed the Armenian government to agree to declare, on April 22, that Armenia and Turkey are making progress toward normalizing their relations. This pressure came notwithstanding the fact that Turkey's prime minister had by then already made it explicit that Turkey would not and will not open the border with Armenia, citing longstanding preconditions unacceptable to Armenia. Vice President Joe Biden called Armenia's president twice, once before and once immediately after the April 22 statement was made public. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in turn called Armenia's foreign minister on the same occasion.

Now the question is how hard the administration and the State Department will push Turkey to proceed with the normalization of relations with Armenia on the basis of the department's declared policy that there should be no preconditions, no linkages to other issues, and no foot-dragging ("within a reasonable timeframe").

Karabakh peace process

The State Department continues to express optimism about the final and peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But, despite a flurry of high-level meetings, Azerbaijan's leaders continue their tough rhetoric and threats to take military action. They remain unwilling to come to terms with the fact that their military aggression against Karabakh failed.

What can Ambassador Yovanovitch share with our community on the status and pace of the talks - beyond reiterating the principles of "self-determination, territorial integrity, and nonuse of force"?  What is the United States doing to end the arms race that Azerbaijan has forced upon Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh?

Unfortunately, in its budget request, the administration attempted to break military assistance parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan; in so doing, it sent the wrong signal.

Aid to Armenia and Karabakh

This week, the House Foreign Operations subcommittee insisted on reinstating that parity. It also restored U.S. humanitarian aid to Karabakh, and restored the level of U.S. aid to Armenia to $48 million for fiscal 2010, the amount allocated for fiscal 2009. The aid package still has to be considered by the relevant Senate committee and differences between the House and Senate versions reconciled.

Ambassador Yovanovitch had said more than once that she expected Congress to restore aid levels. Nevertheless, the Obama administration is responsible for its choice to continue the dubious approach of the Bush administration by proposing less assistance for Armenia and attempting to break military assistance parity. The budget request is seen to reflect the administration's priorities and attitudes, and as a presidential candidate, Mr. Obama promised a fresh approach.

That said, we look forward to hearing from the ambassador about some of the major programs on which the U.S. government plans to spend this aid.