Mount Laurel, NJ — The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) has been voicing the values and concerns of Armenian Americans with U.S. representatives in their district offices while Congress is on August recess.
The ANC of New Jersey was accompanied by Michelle Hagopian, ANCA Eastern Region Executive Director, to a meeting with Rep. Jon Runyan (R-NJ-3) on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. The meeting was at his Mount Laurel district office in southern New Jersey.
“These district meetings are vital to the ebb and flow of the ANCA-ER’s activity. Even though we connect with representatives in Washington, we lay the foundation locally in the district. We appreciate the cooperation of elected officials like Rep. Runyan for meeting with our activists, who are always willing to voice their concerns and advance the Armenian cause,” said Hagopian.
Andrew and Madonna Kzirian, two constituents of Rep. Runyan, attended the meeting and brought a few pamphlets and books on the Armenian Genocide as a gift to the Congressman. House Resolution 227, the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution, was a main point of discussion in the meeting as the ANCA-ER works to increase the number of cosponsors on the resolution.
“I think the 3rd district community should be pleased that we’re meeting with elected officials at the federal level and we’re putting a face on the topic of the Genocide. Even if a Congressman isn’t up to speed on our issues, we’re making them aware that constituents are concerned about justice,” Andrew Kzirian said.
Hagopian also accompanied Vatche Kaloustian of the ANC of Pennsylvania to a meeting with the office of Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA-7) on Wednesday, August 14. The discussion ranged from the history of the Genocide to the self-determination and democratic nature of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, which included a briefing on the history of the region and the aggression by Azerbaijan against Armenians.
In the Midwest, the newly formed ANC of Missouri has been hard at work getting to know their elected officials as well. On Wednesday, August 7, ANC-MO activists Jake Varadian and John Donjoian met with the office of Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO-2) to cultivate a relationship with the Congresswoman.
The pair discussed the St. Louis metropolitan area community, including the Granite City, Ill., Armenian Apostolic church, St. Gregory the Illuminator. The fact that the St. Louis area has a sizeable population of Baku Armenians provided a solid framework to discuss Nagorno Karabakh and the far-reaching roots it has in Missouri and Illinois. ANC-MO also gave personal accounts of their familial ties to the Genocide, emphasized the importance of culture that Armenian Americans bring to the area, and urged Rep. Wagner to push for more trade and aid to Armenia.
“Rep. Wagner’s office was genuinely touched by our personal accounts and our willingness to discuss the issues important to the Armenians of Missouri’s 2nd Congressional district,” Donjoian said.
ANCA-ER has other meetings scheduled in the district for this month and into September, while some local ANCs such as the ANC of Rhode Island have met with their representatives already and have made plans to meet with their Senators before the recess is over.
U.S. Congress returns to session in Washington, DC on September 9.
Lebanon’s state-run news agency says a Lebanese prosecutor has charged 13 people in connection with the kidnapping of two Turkish Airlines pilots in Beirut. Most of the 13 are relatives of nine Lebanese Shiites who have been held by Syrian rebels for more than a year. Relatives of the Lebanese hostages blame Turkey, which supports the Syrian rebels, for not doing enough to secure their release. Gunmen snatched the two Turkish pilots on Aug. 9 from a van near Beirut’s international airport. The National News Agency said three members of the group charged Tuesday were arrested on Saturday, while the rest remain at large. Daniel Zgheib, a spokesman for the relatives of the nine Lebanese Shiites, rejected the charges, calling them a “mockery” in comments to a Lebanese TV station.
To the question from a mass media representative whether Armenian authorities waits for Azerbaijan’s decision on the Armenian citizen detained recently in the territory of Azerbaijan to proceed accordingly with the Azerbaijani POW, Mr. Artsrun Hovhannisyan, Press Secretary of the Minister of Defense, replied that irrespective of the decision on part of Azerbaijani authorities we will remain faithful to Armenia’s commitments under international human rights and humanitarian law and will act in compliance with assumed responsibilities set out in all agreements and documents signed with respective international organizations and no less important the free, unhindered and informed decision of the Azerbaijani POW on his future status.
