MEDIA RELEASE

June 27, 2010

The Peak Public Affairs Committee of the Armenian-Australian Community
SYDNEY: Last week, a delegation of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia) met with the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) to discuss the significant shared political concerns of the Armenian-Australian and Assyrian-Australian communities.

Having worked together on human rights issues in the past, including genocide recognition, freedom of speech and minority rights, the two public relations committees met with the objective of strengthening their working relationship, synchronising activities and endorsing mutual initiatives.

ANC Australia Executive Director Varant Meguerditchian said the AUA and ANC Australia have mutual concerns based on a common turbulent modern history.

"ANC Australia and AUA will coordinate activities and work in tandem to urge their respective communities to raise awareness and seek recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the Assyrian Genocide," he said.

"By working together, we present a strengthened united approach to these human rights measures and stand firm in the face of genocide denial."

AUA Regional Secretary for Australia and New Zealand Mr. Hermiz Shahen added: "Through better co-ordination of our activities to raise awareness of genocide past injustices, ANC Australia and the AUA are making their contributions to bringing about an end to the cycle of genocide and its subsequent denial."

Based on the shared political concerns of their communities as survivors of the first genocide of the 20th century, ANC Australia and the AUA agreed to focus on genocide recognition.