Armenia shouldn't focus very much on Washington over Genocide, says Artak Shakaryan

One of the mistakes Armenia is making over the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is that it is focusing very much on what Washington will say, a Turkologist has said, speaking about the Armenian Genocide resolution (H. Res. #252).

At a press conference today, Artak Shakaryan said that Armenia forgets about other resolutions adopted by the US Congress.

"At the end of the [19]70s and at the beginning of 80s both the Senate and the House of Representatives a few times adopted resolutions that recognized the Armenian Genocide … [former] US President Ronald Reagan used the word 'Armenian Genocide'," said he.

According to Shakaryan, whether or not will current US President Barack Obama use the term "Armenian Genocide" will not have any significant role theoretically.

However, Shakaryan thinks that if Obama does use the term, it will strengthen Armenia's position at the international level. It will at the same time not give any judicial advantages, Shakaryan added.

The Resolution #252 is only about recognizing the Armenian Genocide, Shakaryan further explained, while what needs to be done is to have US adopt a document that will condemn the genocide, something France and Switzerland have already done.

"We don't have a strong lobby in US as we like to think," said he, adding that the Armenian lobby is powerful only in California and Massachusetts.

"What we have is just a group of congressmen who, yes, do exert pressure about this of that issue."

Further, Shakaryan said that what Armenians should be really concerned about is not the adoption or rejection of the Armenian Genocide resolution, but rather what he called the "media attention" so that more people worldwide will have a chance to read and know what the Armenian Genocide is.