YEREVAN The former Soviet Republic of Armenia said on Friday it was unhappy the U.S. Congress had scrapped plans to vote on a motion labelling as genocide the killing of Armenians by Turks 85 years ago.
Turkey, which had threatened retaliation if the resolution was approved, has already hailed the decision to drop it.
"Armenia's Foreign Ministry regrets that the genocide resolution was moved off the agenda," Ara Papyan, the ministry spokesman, said in a statement.
Papyan said Armenia again appealed to Turkey for direct talks to resolve the issue. "We hope Turkey will positively answer this appeal," he said.
The resolution, approved by the House International Relations Committee earlier this month, urged U.S. President Bill Clinton to recognize "the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide".
Similar resolutions have been blocked in the U.S. Congress over the past 20 years, but this time it won backing from many Republican and Democratic lawmakers, whose districts have large Armenian constituencies.
The non-binding measure outraged NATO-ally Turkey.
Ankara had threatened retaliation, including trade sanctions and the withdrawal of military cooperation, if the House of Representatives approved the motion.
Armenians say 1.5 million of their compatriots were murdered by Ottoman troops in 1915.
(Reuter)