SAN JOSE, CA (Armenian Weekly)-Representatives from five prominent Bay Area Armenian-American organisations met on November 6 with Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, who was in Silicon Valley from November 5-8 attending the government sponsored ArmTech Congress 09.

The leadership of the Bay Area Armenian National Committee, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Society, HMEM Armenian Athletic organization, KZV Armenian School, and St. Gregory Armenian church met the Prime Minister, Consul General and Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. to express the grave concern and disappointment of the majority of community members regarding the "Protocols" recently signed by the foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey, for the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The Bay Area delegation strongly urged the Armenian government representatives to do everything in their power to prevent ratification of the Protocols. They explained that although they are in favor of normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey, the conditions written into the Protocols (including the formation of an "historical commission" and points relating to existing boundaries), seriously undermine Armenia's legal rights and the viability of the Armenian state in the future, and that they cannot lead to true reconciliation, nor a stable relationship between the two states.

The Prime Minister spoke at length, defending the President's signing of the Protocols, saying that they were good for Armenia; that Turkey would recognise the Armenian Genocide of its own volition; that Turkey's process of reforms to enter the European Union will be a positive development for Armenia.

Sargsyan described the normalization process as a "new reality" in regards to Turkish-Armenian relations. The Bay Area representatives expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to discuss their concerns, reiterating their opposition to the current government's harmful course.