Cilicia Catholicos: Senate’s Armenian Genocide vote “a unique step”![]() December 13, 2019 - 11:18 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I has hailed the United States Senate’s unanimous vote to condemn the Armenian Genocide as “a unique step” in the fight for recognition. The Catholicos praised the efforts of the Armenian National Committee of America and the result of collective and consistent work. Aram I also said he is hopeful the U.S. President Donald Trump will make “a decisive step” in the direction too. The Senate passed the resolution on Thursday, December 12. Sen. Bob Menendez passed the resolution, which provides "official recognition and remembrance" of the Armenian Genocide, by consent. "We have just passed the Armenian genocide resolution ... and it is fitting and appropriate that the Senate stands on the right side of history in doing so. It commemorates the truth of the Armenian genocide," Menendez said from the Senate floor. The move comes after three GOP senators previously blocked passage of the resolution amid pressure from the White House, which argued that it would undercut negotiations between Washington and Ankara, which vehemently opposes recognizing the killing of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. ![]() ![]() The Armenian Genocide The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million. ![]() ![]() The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, have arrived in Washington. The CSTO budget for the current year requires adjustments due to the refusal of Yerevan to pay their share of contributions. Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. ![]() ![]() Partner news | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |