CANBERRA: The Joint Justice Initiative, which represents Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian calls for Federal Australian recognition of the 1915 Genocides committed by Ottoman Turkey, has announced high-profile Senator Eric Abetz among a growing number of supporters.

The experienced Tasmanian was formerly a Minister in the Howard and Abbott governments, and now chairs the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.

Abetz talked of the importance of Australia recognising the Armenian Genocide and Australia's subsequent first major international relief effort to aid its survivors in a speech in the Federal Senate in August 2018.

"It is my hope that Australia will be in the vanguard of this just endeavour to obtain recognition and reparation for the plight of the world's Armenian peoples, as our forebears were 100 years ago in providing food, support and practical assistance," Abetz said. "I'm a firm believer that justice ultimately prevails and I, therefore, believe that justice will ultimately come the way of the Armenian people. But I am also reminded that justice delayed is justice denied."

The February 2020 launch of the Joint Justice Initiative at Australia's Parliament House featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) and Australian Hellenic Council (AHC), which declares Australia's recognition of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides as a priority on behalf of their communities.

The Armenian National Committee of Australia's (ANC-AU) Haig Kayserian welcomed the signing of a Joint Justice Initiative Affirmation of Support by Abetz.

"Senator Eric Abetz is one of the most recognisable personalities in Australian politics, and a long-time advocate for national recognition of the Genocides suffered by Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in 1915," Kayserian said.

"We thank Senator Abetz for reaffirming his steadfast support for truth and justice to be reflected in Australia's official position on the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides."

The Joint Justice Initiative has so far announced the support of Abetz, Senator Larissa Waters, Senator Pat Dodson, Jason Falinski MP, Josh Burns MP, John Alexander MP, Senator Andrew Bragg and Bob Katter MP, with a promise of more announcements to come.

On 25th February 2020, over 100 Federal Australian parliamentarians, diplomats, departmental officials, political staffers, academics, media and community leaders were treated to cultural performances, food, wine and brandy, as well as the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which affirmed that the signatory public affairs representatives of the three communities were jointly committed to seeing Australia recognise the Turkish-committed Genocide against the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian citizens of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.



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