WASHINGTON (Combined Sources)—On March 12, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton invited President Serge Sarkisian to visit Washington next month for a global nuclear security summit, in a telephone conversation that appears to have centered on the stalled rapprochement talks between Turkey and Armenia, reported RFE/RL. On March 13, it was reported that Sarkisian accepted the invitation.
The phone call came the day after Sarkisian suggested that Turkey will not unconditionally normalize relations with Armenia anytime soon and again threatened to annul the U.S.-brokered protocols signed by the two nations in October.
The invitation to Sarkisian came months after the conference had already been scheduled, without an invitation being sent to Armenia. The summit will come ahead of April 24, the international day of commemoration for the Armenian Genocide.
The invitation is seen by many as the Obama Administration’s latest attempt to give Obama an excuse to once again steer clear of recognizing the Armenian Genocide in his April 24 address.
Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau member Dr. Viken Hovsepian told our sister publication Asbarez on March 12 that Sarkisian’s visit to Washington will enable the Obama Administration to carve out a way out of honoring his campaign pledge to recognize the genocide.
Hovsepian recalled the announcement of the so-called “roadmap,” which was made on April 22, 2009.
Last April, Armenia and Turkey issued an announcement on the eve of April 24 of a roadmap for normalizing their strained relations. The roadmap, announced at the urging of the U.S. and Switzerland, gave Obama the cover he needed to break a campaign pledge to affirm the U.S. record on the crime and not use the word “genocide” in his April 24 address.
Sarkisian’s visit can become “an incredible opportunity for Armenia’s highest leadership to personally remind President Obama of his campaign promise and tell him that it is high time for him to honor his pledge,” explained Hovsepian.
Pres. Sakisian should be with his people on April 24…..maybe he should
invite Secy. of State Clinton to Armenia instead. It would be more diplomatically correct but who said Armenia does what is diplomatic.
I was just thinking, Sargsian sees Hillary Clinton more than her husband Bill does. Hard to understand how Bill (or anyone) can stand the woman.
I mean, Sargsian sort of has to deal with her, but Bill can dump her anytime. Why doesn’t he?
PAROYAGANOUTYOUNE ANHEDATZAV,ARD.KO.NAKHARAR GE
HERAVIRA NAKHAKAHIN BASHDONAGAN AYTZOV OUR AE YERKERIN
NAKHAKAHE MR. OBAMAN? TSITSAGHELI KHAYDARAGOUTYOUN
AZAD, ANGAKH YERKIRI ME VODNAGOKH GENEN.AMOT HAZAR AMOT,
ASDVATS PERGE HYE ZHOGHORTIN AHAZAKAYIN TAKARTE ME.
GETZE HO.HE.TAN
HYE AZKIN BAHABAN
More political games. With this inviotation, I think Obamaoglu and his lapdog Hillary are trying to pressure the Turks. Its also possible they are going to try to muscle Serj. Let’s see.
why on the eve of 24th of April?
don’t they have any respect to our grandparents’ memory?
Sarkissian is so wrong to accept the invitation that they, he can go 26th or 25th but not 23rd or 24th.
I believe that Aoush described it correctly.
Mr. Sarkisyan or his advisors should have evaluated how degrading the phone call was , before they respond positively.
Mr.Sarkisyan’s meddling empowering U.S. to regain lost influence (2008 war) in Caucasus.
I can feel sorrow only that how easy we loose dignity and how easy others can manipulate our cause.
I agree with Anoush, Mr president must be with his people on 24th of April. He has to show how much 24th of April is important for all Armenians. Mr Obama can wait if he has no hidden political tricks by inviting Mr. Serj Sarkisian right on a very sensitive day, April 24. Unfortunately our polititions never been on the right track. If they were, our situation could be better than now. God save us.
Of course, the servant comes running to the master’s house whenever his name is called….
Anoush and Vahe, I also agree with both of you. Absolutely!! President Sarkissian must be with his people going to Dsidsernagapert and putting flower on the tumb of more than 1.5 Million Martir’s monument. Like Anoush said, he should invite Hilary Clinton instead to go to Armenia and join him putting flower on our 1.5 Million Martir’s monument and pay homage to them. That the politically correct thing to do!!!!!!!
Dear Dr. Hovsepian: I hope… I hope and pray that Sarkisian will be man enough to gain from the opportunity of meeting President Obama and remind him to finally honor his campaign promise and his pledge to utter the word Genocide. Let’s hope and wait to see.
This will show US that Armenia is willing to work hand in hand with US, and with headaches that Turkey is giving why not focus with your true ally Armenia US.
This is the year people. 2010 April 24th the world will recognize the genocide.
Vahe came close …to the chess-game ..-read war-game,diplo give and take in the Region…
When war was lost -Georgia-it was time for RA to support JAVAKHK gain..at the very least Autonomy..Lost chance…
Now,as to Visit of Nakhagah Sarkissian .It is not clear on WHAT DATE!!!
it could also be in first week,second week of April or a bit later.Indeed to imagine only one day ahead of 24th is a bit early.This will be clarified in the not too far future.
Otherwise indeed all you people are correct.He sould not go if 23rd, or even 22nd April.Tha bodes “capitulation”.On the other hand ,take an optimistic look at it.Perhaps she wants to convice Sarkissian to accept go about recognition Swedish style or even US style that is WTH ONE VOTE DIFFERENCE ONLY…she quite well knows the turkish mindset.Latter does not admit mutual compromise-if not to their whims-We must understadn that we are up aagainst a people that has inherited ttoman Empire turkishness…if they are to give in it will be “their style , i.e. ,at very slow pace…yavahs yavash piano pianoGAMAC GAMAC .
For turkish”wrath” may flare up and do yet more attrocities..while the West stands by and just wathces
We should have learnt a bit about their tactics..
I am optimistic with Nakhagah’s moves..he is acting very Middle Eastern Style, so to speak…he must have gone through not only russian Shcola, but a also learnt from Persians Persian Armenians ..not to be like Arevmdahays ,i.e. tit for tat.
Latter can indeed work out with others BUT NOT WITH TURKS.
Witness not even little brother Azerbejan is softening up…they awai outcome with big brother Great Turkey.
Who made her that great? go figure out…then try to uderstand that others are there on the scene.not just great turkley…
best wishes to all
g.p
Unfortunately, the public is not aware of what pressure is being placed on Armenia by the GREAT powers. Right now, Armenia appears to be a thorn in a master plan revolving around possibly oil or some other vital commodity. Sarkissian knows what’s at stake.
Enough said.
Well said, Sarkis. I feel terrible that our Mr. Sargsyan has to put up with these hysterical and irrational sentiments on a regular basis now. How must it feel going to important international meetings knowing that you are more-or-less alone, knowing that your people are too ignorant to stand besides you. Throughout history the Armenian people have always been the state’s worst enemy. It’s no different today. As long as Armenia fits the narrow, shallow and genocide obsessed mentalities of these pseudo-nationalists, it wouldn’t matter for them if the homeland forever sinks in poverty and despair. You people here need to live several more lives before you even begin to understand the complexities, the intricacies, the difficulties of the political world. You people are also the furthest thing from true nationalists. And you are Armenia’s worst enemy today.
I think people forget, that not accepting US State Secretory (essentially US Government) invitation is not an option. President Sargsyan has no choice but to go there, regardless of the date. However, what he has a choice in is not allowing himself to cave in, not making statements he will regret or statements that will undermine the fact of the genocide and the need to condemn it.
Hye, Serge, inexperienced, flattered by Hilary’s invite – should not attend – especially in an April date – any meetings with this US State Department a/o
Hilary. Hilary never included all the Armenian entities which shall have been
invited to the March 4th event – cancelled, fortunately for Hilary.
Serge, inexperienced amongst these USA government leaders, should not attend without an American Armenian experienced entourage – stupid.
Manooshag
As long as we have sensible people like Sarkis and Avedis among us, there is still hope. Hatred, shortsightedness, and an obsession with the “recognition” of the genocide by some foreign country however “mighty” that country may be, will not change the facts! Denying a truth does not make it false. Let us concentrate on diplomacy, let us unilaterally support our country’s leaders and statesmen to get on with the building of our nation! Let us go and live in our homeland and help it prosper . Let us do something really useful instead of just criticizing sitting in our comfortable chairs in our comfortable homes surrounded by all the comforts that money can buy!
Manooshag, Bravo
Ditto, well wrote,
Leave Armenia to Armenian,
you better fix the peace between
ISRAIL Vs. PALISTAIN
AS A GREAT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!
Why Hilary why; You are a Mother and a Lawyer,
This was not expected from you.
You don’t care for humans living immigrants?
Is your heart made of rock, can’t sight and cry!
One day you will regret that will be too late
You already lanced eight million Armenian Hearts!
That will be written in your History with red-blood;
You refused to recognize first century Armenian Genocide!
Don’t expect us to forget your deliberate crimes!
As you will be one day a grandmother carrying your grandson!
A Bedouin who cared for Armenians will be respected more than you!
Never be proud of your self that you were one day Lady Hilary
The only wife for P. Clinton who had many lovers and not only you!
We are different nation our men never betray their wives.
Don’t expect us to forget your deliberate crimes!
A leader, even of a tiny, desperate nation, must have moral legitimacy, high morale, and resilient spirit. Serj clearly lacks all of the above. Most importantly, he lacks broad-based support of the citizenry at home: they didn’t even elect him. This is the reason why he succumbs so effortlessly to the whims of world power centers. I hate it when commentators in various blogs make childish arguments like “Serj couldn’t refuse signing the protocols,” “Serj couldn’t reject Obama’s invitation to visit the US on April 23rd,” “Serj couldn’t but accept the Madrid principles on Artsakh,” “Serj couldn’t do this,” “Serj couldn’t do that”… Can I ask what Serj CAN do except for wasting people’s money at casinos, creating a notorious clan system in Armenia, and depriving his own people in every way? History knows mnay instances when powerless, destitute nations gained political dividends when their leaders showed strong will and determination. While it is widely accepted that power is the determinant in politics, it is NOT the unique determinant. Moral legitimacy of a leader, too, plays a crucial role in the course of interactions with more powerful players. Serj obviously lacks it, and I’m afraid he’s just being used (especially after dubious elections and March 1-2, 2008 bloodshed) as a puppet in the hands of power centers that advance their economic and geostrategic interests in the broader region.
Hey Avetis,
“Throughout history the Armenian people have always been the state’s worst enemy. It’s no different today. As long as Armenia fits the narrow, shallow and genocide obsessed mentalities of these pseudo-nationalists”?
What Armenian State are you talking about? The one that has been occupied for hundreds of years? Or the corrupt oligarch one recently created that violates it’s own citizen’s right and beats and imprisons all who protest against it? Understand that the Diaspora was genocide created and not out of choice of anyone. There isn’t one Armenian family on this planet that isn’t massively effected by the Turkish decision to liquidate our grandparents and to steal everything and no one is about too or should “just forget it”. The reason Sargsyan is alone on this is not because Armenians don’t love their country or want the best for it but rather we know he is illegitimate and highly corrupt and even his own people in Armenia know it and live it everyday. This illegitimate idiot almost gave away, under the cloak of secrecy, all Armenian’s rights for recognition and justice of the very reason there is a DIASPORA. It is not for him to decide. It is hopefully dead by the sheer luck of the Turkish Karabagh stipulation and by the Armenian courts decision and not any political savvy by him. Also do you think that Clinton is inviting him because of his importance? Hardly, rather because of the sweat, hard work and eventual political might created by the DIASPORA and the pressure it exerts which can’t be ignored by any US administration anymore. I do agree he needs to go to the meeting as it would be politically correct but please, your threads are usually out of touch, childish and bitter at best!
Johny, your irrational/self-destructive rhetoric makes you sound like a pathetic CIA mouthpiece. Had you stopped your US State Department encouraged obsessions with our so-called “oligarchs” and your diaspora induced obsessions about Turks and the genocide you may have realized that Armenian history goes far beyond the Turkish era and our “oligarchs” today are mere boyscouts compared to the bloodthirsty and corrupt oligarchs that run Washington’s empire today. When all is said and done, it was precisely due to naive, ignorant or paid-for individuals like many of you here that Armenian kingdoms were never very powerful. More Armenian rulers were deposed/betrayed by Armenians than by foreigners. I suggest you put down your CIA fact book and start reading real history. You people prove beyond doubt that we Armenians are our worst enemies. Like I keep saying: Armenia need political evolution not a CIA sponsored revolution. And Armenians maybe brilliant in business, academia and the arts – they remain total idiots when it comes to understanding the political world…
PS: Although it might not be saying much, Mr. Sargsyan is our best president yet, Armenia is progressing forward in all categories and Armenia’s geopolitical status has never looked better. But again, one must have a brain to realize all this.
Avetis boy, please your only embarrassing yourself. The oligarch system in Armenia is a fact and even most Armenians in Armenia understand this. Yet you portray this as being totally fine? Sargsyan is an illegitimate stooge put there by himself and the ruling thugs and that is does not equate to “one of the best we ever had”. He is neither politically brilliant nor savvy and neither are you. Your ideas are not what is good for Armenia or its people. Also I didn’t need a “CIA book or a Diaspora induced obsessions of Turks & the genocide” to know that my grandparents and their family were either outright killed and my lands, which I still hold the deeds to, were taken just for being Armenian. An Armenian didn’t do this but rather the TURKS DID! Please don’t preach to me, and I am sure I can speak for all the other Armenians for that matter, that have been profoundly effected by the result of the genocide to just forget about it. As usual, your stupid irrelevant, always bitter, Sargsyan and Turkish apologist threads always speak in third person language. You either are a total moron, a tool box or a really just a TURK in disguise!
Avetis — If you read the history of other nations you’ll see that “naive, ignorant or paid-for individuals” existed in virtually all of them. This is, unfortunately, all-human behavior, and not just typically Armenian. Ottoman sultans, for example, ordered to kill their own sons in order to iliminate any threat for their own reign. During the WWII, Ukranian collaborators with the Nazis betrayed their own citizens. The Russian and the Chinese collaborators with their respective Communist regimes used to betray their own citizens en masse, that resulted in multi-million deaths and imprisonments. The list can go on and on. As for obssession with the Turks and the genocide, that’s too is all-human and not typically Armenian. This is a natural reaction of a nation that’s been annihilated en masse, deprived from their historical homeland and possessions. Would you expect any other reaction to this henious crime? Armenians’ obsession is not with the Turks per se, but with all consecutive Turkish governments that until the present day shamelessly deny what their predecessors did 95 years ago. Go on, blame all other genocide-striken nations for their aspiration to acjieve justice. Go on, Avetis, blame the Jews, Ukranians, Cambodians, Afro-Americans, American Indians, Darfurians for essentially being a victim. By doing so, soulless and anational people like you only justify the crimes of genocide-perpetrators and genocide-deniers.
As for your panegirics for Serjik, I can only pity you and your small-mindedness. First, because Serjik is not OUR president, the majority of Armenia’s populace hasn’t even elected the crook. He’s thus unelected and unrepresentative thug, and the only thing that’s progressing in Armenia is his notorious mafia clans, nepotism, manipulations with currency, and impoverishment of his own people. Oligarchs are despicable in any society, but the difference they are even more despicable in the countries like Armenia is that they’ve monopolized all the economy obstructing the creation of the middle-class and civil liberties for the population. I’m sorry to say, one needs to be a moron to compare oligarchic systems in Armenia and the U.S. In the U.S. oligarchs do not essentially affect the basic rights and enterprenureal possibilities of ordinary American sitizens. I’m so sorry that my nation has also produced types like you, Avetis.
I agree totally with Anoush & Elsa.
Avo, yes el qo dem artahaytutyunnerin ushadrutyun chem dartsnum ,voch el kardum, ayl hetevum em qo hogevichake’ te inch tagnapnerov es tarapum. Te Astvats inchpes qo dimats anoghok e’ yeghel. Kheghj Avo…. du ognutyan yev khnamakalutyan petq unes.
Shat-shat sireli enker khmbagir…
What happened to my health advisory about the intake of too much fluoride making people stupid/docile? This is serious. Please advise you readership to avoid fluoride toothpastes and to stop drinking fluoride laced municipal tap water…
Dear Administrators —
This ‘Avetis’ guy seems to need psychiatric help, sympathy, and care. While I don’t contest your right to publish his marasmic comments, but they contain insults to other commentators, such as “midgets,” “stupids,” “idiots,” “enemies,” and the like. The guy is either mentally retarded or fierce opponent of anything related to Diaspora and Genocide recognition, or a Turk, or simply one of those who’ve been bought and paid-for by illegitimate Armenian regime to widespread counter-agitation to their benefit.
I don’t think that using derogatory words is something you should tolerate in this website.
Respects,
Noune
Good for him and us- we need to let them know-the Jews do it everywhere and they succeed-no matter what-though we may not want to hear it or see it-we feel it-100%. KEEP THE FLAME ALIVE-we shall win our lands back and populate the homeland they stole and pillaged
I HOPE the two nations can have PEACE one day and go one with their lifes.
NO NORMALIZING RELATION WITH PRO CONDITION
GET AWAY CLINCTON LEAVE ARMENIA FREE
WE DON’T NEED TURKISH CRIMERS RELATION, YOU BETTER
GO AND SOLVE PALESDINIAN PROBLEM
LEAVE ARMENIA TO ARMENIANS
Dear John and Seda,
Thank you for putting this Avetis guy in place..
I don’t get it Avetis… from your Armenian writing, I can tell you are an Armenian from Armenia.. am i correct? If so, what possessed you to stand up and bravely announce your support for Serj??? Are you related to him??? is that why? If so, I can understand.. if not, then why the hell would you talk to your fellow Armenians in such way? You speak like we are Turks.. You use words such as “you people” “you Armenians”, ect.. like you are part of Turkey and you don’t belong to our nation.. You are an insult to all Armenians.. I am sorry to say…Like many of my comrads stated, instead of portecting a president who has not done one good thing for his people, why don’t you put your efforts and join those who fight against evil, and injustice. Once Serj and his mafia is out of govt, and a decent president is elected by ITS OWN PEOPLE, maybe then the population will stand behind his president and support his every efforts because they will know they have a president who will not betray them like Serj and his gang did.. A good president should be politically savvy, know the mind game and play the political game like no tomorrow…but at the same time not be afraid to put his foot down.. you are telling me that Serj has all these qualities and we need to support him? What a joke…..Serj does not possess anything worth to be a president nor his mafia including Nalbandian.. please spare me your preaching because it will not fly among those Armenians that you call “you people”…
Gayane
Gayane
Guaranteed she will promise him the world and that this time will be different and she will get the Turks to do this and that and guess what (?) he will fall for it again and cave in. We have been hearing the same old lies for much too long. The story goes, we can not because Turkey will not let us use Incerlik Air Basee for Iraq or Afganistan. For that I say how dare they dictate American policy especially when it was the help of American Hard Earned Tax Dollars that helped build Incerlik. We pour billions of our American Hard Earned Tax Dollars into their country and they dictate their morals to us? There is something wrong here and it has to stop now. Our leaders have to tell them that we have a commitment to our high standards & morals and if they don’t like it we will stop sending them OUR MONEY that you and millions of Americans worked for especially in our hard economic times. If we give them our money they should do what WE Americans tell them to do. We have to pass this on to our leaders in Congress and our President.
HAVE AMERICA TO END IRAQI AND AFGHANISTAN WARS
COZE TO IGNORE INGIRLIK BASE AT ALL, ARMENIAN-AMERICAN
OFFERING TO COUNTRY LOT IN EVERY FEILD COMPARING WITH
TURKEY, ARMENIANS GENERALY THEY DON’T WANT ANY TYPE OF
RELATIONS UNLESS RECOGNIZE GENOCIDE PERFORM BY THEM:}
Very sharp remarks Avetis! It looks like our little Armenia is about to become wasted “playing card” in the political game between US and Turkey. This “card” is possessed by the US at the moment and they will play it ONLY for their best interest, which is not the same as the national interests of Armenia. The Armenian diaspora in the US is wasting too much time and money on Genocide recognition in the US and should clearly change the objective and help Armenian economy to get stronger in all areas. Once Armenia becomes strong then who needs their money anyway