Armenian Genocide Recognition is the Government of Canada Policy

June 18,2007
Armenian National Committee of Canada
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Albert St., Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622 Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/courriel:national.office@anc-canada.com
www.anccanada.org
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kevork Manguelian

Armenian Genocide Recognition is the Government of Canada Policy

PM Harper condemns foreign representatives' interference in Canadian domestic affairs

Toronto- During a roundtable discussion with the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC) on June 15, in a response to Horizon Weekly representative and the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, Aris Babikian, the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, reaffirmed that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Canada is a government policy and not “the position of the elected guys” as some insubordinate civil servants tried to represent.

The Prime Minister emphasized that “Canada’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide” is sometimes not easy “for the foreign service of Canada” to accept. The Prime Minister made it clear that the “ultimate position of the elected government is the position of the Government of Canada.”

Furthermore, in a response to NEPMCC President Tom Saras’ query about the interference in Canadian internal affairs of representatives of foreign governments and pressuring or coercion of Canadians and Canadian organizations to follow certain policies, the Prime Minister condemned such practices and said that he found it “unacceptable” for these diplomats to pursue such interference.

He reminded members of the media that as head of “the Government of Canada I cannot tell you what (to) write in your newspaper and foreign governments cannot tell what to write.”

Mr. Saras query refereed to a recent attempt by the Turkish Embassy to silence Mr. Saras after his condemnation of the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The Turkish Embassy launched a vicious campaign to discredit Mr. Saras and called for his resignation as NEPMCC president.

“We are proud to have such an honourable, moral, and visionary Prime Minister as Mr. Harper,” Jean Mgerditchian, president of the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC). “After the Prime Minister's unambiguous clarification, we call on our civil servant to comply to the policies of the executive and legislative government vis-a-vis the Armenian Genocide,” concluded Mgerditchian.

Some 45 ethnic and mainstream media representatives attended the roundtable discussion.

The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.

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