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14.01.2009 11:03

Speaking during the nationally televised Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing for the incoming Secretary of State, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) praised Hillary Clinton's long record of support for Armenian Genocide recognition and urged her to continue her principled stand on this core human rights issue as the nation's top diplomat, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

"We want to thank Bob Menendez for raising the need for U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide today during Sen. Clinton's confirmation hearing, which was watched intently by tens of millions across the United States and around the world," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "His comments, which cited both the Secretary of State-Designate's longstanding support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution and President Obama's pledge to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide as President, reflect the fact that the incoming Administration includes an unprecedented number of officials with substantial track records of fighting for the proper acknowledgement and commemoration of this crime against humanity."

During Senate Foreign Relations Committee questioning, Sen. Menendez stated:

"I hope that the support that you gave while you were a Senator to the question of the Armenian Genocide, that the President-Elect has himself supported, recognition of that. You know, if we are to say never again, part of that is ultimately the recognition of what has
happened so that we can move forward. And I hope that you will be an advocate of having us get off of where we have been and move forward to a recognition of that part of history that is universally recognized so that we can move forward in that respect."

"And I also hope in a part of the world that's very important to me, on the question of reunification of Cyprus, that we have honest brokers at the State Department, at the end of the day. One that recognizes that if Greek and Turkish Cypriots could work with each other, they would seek a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation that could move forward and reunify the island and end the incredible militarization of the island - the most militarized part of the world per capita. So, I hope that you will look at those issues. I know the positions you've taken as a Senator and I applaud them. I hope that they won't change drastically as you move to Secretary of State."

Secretary of State Designate Clinton responded: "Senator, we will be looking very closely at those and other challenging issues with the eye of moving forward and being effective in responding to these very legitimate concerns."

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