24 10 2007 - For the first time in eleven years Armenians Labbyists in GB

For the first time in eleven years, Armenian lobbyists were invited to meet the minister responsible for the Genocide issue, thanks to the help of Andrew George MP, a long-time supporter of genocide recognition in the House of Commons, Armenia Solidarity - British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group - Nor Serount
Publications - Armenian Genocide Trust, report. The minister is the newly -promoted Mr Jim Murphy. He listened carefully to three separate perspectives on the issue: Historical, Moral and Political.

He was assured of the wide consensus by impartial historians regarding the truth of the genocide by historian Christopher Walker, who also put it that Genocide Recognition by the UK would help Turkey come to terms with its past.
He was briefed on the replies received from his predecessors, by Eilian Williams and was told that the often-repeated "neither this government, nor previous governments have found the evidence to be
sufficiently unequivocal" was disingenuous and misleading as no historians or genocide scholars were ever consulted by this or previous governments. He was updated on the Recognition of the Genocide in Wales, and the unveiling of the Armenian Genocide Monument
in Cardiff on November 3rd 2007. He showed surprise that by this week (until 16th October 2007) 175 fellow MPs have already signed Early Day Motion 357 recognising the Genocide, making it the second most
successful foreign affairs EDM in parliament.

A description of the political consequences of the Genocide and its denial on Armenia's security was given by Bernard Nazarian. He described how the Genocide had deprived Armenia of most of its historic lands and that today Armenians were forced to live in a strip
of land at the eastern extremity of historical Armenia blockaded and threatened from the West (by Turkey) and from the east (by Azerbaijan).
Mr Murphy (the Minister for Europe) promised to examine the issue with an open mind and to consult his fellow MPs. The meeting was facilitated by Mr Andrew George MP whose statement is below. Armenia Solidarity Lobbyists, part of the Coalition which also includes the
British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group, Nor Serount Publications and Armenian Genocide Trust were accompanied by historian Christopher Walker.

Message from government minister Ed Balls The Rt Hon. Ed Balls MP a government minister and close to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, sent a message to Wales-Armenia Solidarity wishing the event in Cardiff on the 3rd November 2007 (unveiling of the Welsh National Monument to the Armenian Genocide) "every success".
No such message from a government minister in the UK has ever been received before.

Jean Eckian
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Commento di Seta Martayan<BR>
Dei lobbisti armeni furono invitati per la prima volta dopo undici anni ad incontrare il neo ministro britannico Jim Murphy responsabile del tema del genocidio.
I vari gruppi armeni e proarmeni hanno aggiornato il ministro sulla superficialità e il negazionismo dei governi precedenti cosi come sulla prossima inaugurazione a Cardiff (Galles- che aveva riconosciuto il genocidio 2 anni fà) di un monumento in memoria del genocidio il 3 Novembre 2007.
Il ministro fù anche sorpreso del numero di 175 parlamentari già consenzienti alla Mozione 357 a favore del riconoscimento del genocidio.......

Jean Eckian