Armenian Reporter:

Armenia denies giving Obama Administration cover on Genocide recognition

Published: Wednesday October 27, 2010

Lost in translation? President Sargsyan and Vice President Biden remember their April 2009 conversations differently. Photos by Armenian president's office, White House

The denial came a day after the release of a YouTube video that showed Vice President Joe Biden telling an Armenian American activist that "the Armenian President called me and said ‘Look, do not force this issue now, while we are in negotiations.'" Judging by the video, Biden appeared unaware that his response was being videotaped.

But U.S. embassy in Armenia effectively contradicted Biden's description of the conversation.

In their two April 2009 conversations "President Sargsian did not raise the issue of the content of President Obama's statement for Armenian Remembrance Day or seek a delay in consideration of House Resolution 252," the embassy said in a statement on October 29. Instead the conversation focused on Armenia-Turkey talks then underway.

Two days earlier presidential spokesman Armen Arzumanyan stressed that President Sargsyan, rather than telling U.S. not to force the issue has "been emphasizing the importance of the international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide and has been urging not to excuse the procrastination of the recognition by the ongoing negotiations with Turkey."

The spokesman also urged the Obama Administration to release a recording of the phone conversation.

2009 conversations

Vice President Biden telephoned President Sargsyan twice during the week preceding President Barack Obama's first April 24 statement last year.

As presidential candidate Obama repeatedly pledged to use the term Genocide in his statement and Biden was a strong supporter of Genocide recognition while in Senate.

Expectations were high that the new administration would change the U.S. policy that avoided using the Genocide term in deference to Turkey's opposition.

According to the Armenian president's office, the first Biden-Sargsyan conversation took place on April 20, 2009; no details were made public at the time.

Just two days later the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministries issued a joint statement that committed Armenia and Turkey to continued talks on normalization of relations.

Later the same day, the State Department welcomed the development and U.S. officials since revealed that they were actively involved in making the statement possible.

In a follow-up call to President Sargsyan on April 23, Biden welcomed the "statement regarding [Armenia's and Turkey's] commitment to normalize their relations," the White House press office reported the same day.

He also "applauded President Sargsian's leadership, and underscored the Administration's firm support for both Armenia and Turkey in this process."

President Obama's April 24 statement avoided using the Genocide term while describing the plight of Ottoman Armenians and welcoming Armenia-Turkey talks.

With mediation from U.S. and others, in October 2009 Armenia and Turkey signed protocols on relations that would establish diplomatic relations and open overland border crossings between two countries. Those agreements are contingent on parliamentary ratification and remain unimplemented.

Shortly before his April 24 statement this year, Obama invited Sargsyan and Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to meet in Washington. In his subsequent statement Obama again avoided the Genocide term.

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