Marie Yovanovitch, he U.S.ambassador to the Republic of Armenia,speaks to a crowd of peopl

A discussion on Armenia



Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Armenia, speaks to a crowd of people at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America in Burbank on Thursday. (Scott Smeltzer/News-Press)

U.S. ambassador to Armenia addresses recent controversy involving Obama and other issues.

By Christopher Cadelago


Published: Last Updated Thursday, June 25, 2009 10:36 PM PDT

BURBANK President Obamas broken promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide a move that set off a firestorm of anger throughout the Armenian community served as a seminal moment where skepticism overwhelmed any sense of promise, members of a large crowd gathered in Burbank said Thursday.

Its an issue, said Minas Nazarian, of Thousand Oaks. Sooner or later they will recognize it. You cant deny it.

During a visit Thursday to the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church in Burbank, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch acknowledged the public displeasure, which still runs deep more than two months after Obama omitted the word genocide after making his opinions on the matter clear on the campaign trail.

I know there is disappointment, perhaps that is not even a strong enough word, and even anger, at President Obamas April 24 statement, she said. You can count on me to convey those feelings to Washington.

She also stressed that Obama went further in his words than any previous president in American history.

Throughout her travels across Boston, New York and Los Angeles, the diplomat has met with government officials, religious leaders and representatives of Armenian American communities to suss out relations between the United States and Armenia.

She was scheduled to visit the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Church at 6252 Honolulu Ave. in La Crescenta at 7:30 tonight, and then the USC Davidson Conference Center in Los Angeles on Saturday.

In criss-crossing the nation as part of the two-week tour that ends June 30 in Washington, D.C., Yovanovitch has faced probing questions about Western energy interests in the Caucasus region, an open border policy with Turkey and allegations that the U.S. has glossed over human rights issues there.

She spoke of the need for accountability in the face of corruption that she said permeates all levels of Armenian government, advocating for a transparent media landscape, especially when it comes to covering elections. While improved, last months municipal elections were problematic, she said.

You dont need to talk to too many people to know that there is a demand for accountability and transparency in government, she said.

The discussion Thursday at in Burbank centered on U.S. foreign policy, government aid efforts and on-the-ground developments in Armenia, where the World Bank projected the poverty rate to increase 5% next year, from 23% to 28%.

No bank in Sisian, Armenia, has provided a loan since January, and some cities have seen demand for various products drop by 50%. Statistics released Thursday show that the economy has contracted by 15%, she said.

The partnership between the U.S. and Armenia cannot be overstated, Yovanovitch added. In all, the U.S. has poured $1.8 billion into Armenia, she said, with Coca-Cola and Sun Microsystems providing key funding for infrastructure and technological training grounds.

The economic crisis, Yovanovitch contended, is an opportunity for the Armenian government to make reforms that modernize the countrys infrastructure and institute an aggressive private sector.

And despite pointed criticism of the U.S. cutting back some aid, she lauded American efforts to increase short-term humanitarian help, citing a program that allocates money to villages for infrastructure improvements and employs local residents to carry out the projects. About $2.2 million recently provided to the country will go toward installing wells and fixing the roofs of homes and churches.

The programs all put people to work so they can put food on the table, she said.

She also advocated for an open Armenian-Turkish border in what she described as a win-win situation.

I know many of you are probably skeptical as to whether this is possible, she said.

But an open border without preconditions is projected to cause an uptick in Armenias gross domestic product to the tune of a few percentage points over the next 15 years.

We believe that people from Turkey and Armenia would find they have more that unites them than divides them, she said.



CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO covers City Hall and the courts. He may be reached at (818) 637-3242 or by e-mail at christopher.cadelago@ latimes.com.