Press Release
Armenian National Committee
San Francisco – Bay Area
51 Commonwealth Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
Tel: (415) 387-3433
Fax: (415) 751-0617
[email protected]
Contact: Roxanne Makasdjian (415) 264-4203
REP. PETE STARK COSPONSORS "OPEN RAILROADS ACT," JOINS ARMENIAN CAUCUS
— Rep. Eshoo states opposition to the removal of US Amb. to Armenia John
Evans
— Part of string of Bay Area ANC meetings with district representatives
/2006/08182006.htm
Fremont, CA, Aug. 10 – Meeting with the Bay Area ANC and constituents,
Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA) agreed to join the growing list of cosponsors
of H.R. 3361, the South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2005.
During the meeting at his district office, Rep. Stark also agreed to join
the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. The meeting, attended by ANC
representative Armen Carapetian, and Stark constituents, Sergey Malyan and
David Ojakian, was one of several visits to Bay Area Congressional offices
initiated by the Armenian National Committee of America’s Western Region
office and coincided with the Congressional August Recess. The group also
thanked Rep. Stark for recently cosponsoring the latest House resolution
reaffirming the US record on the Armenian Genocide (H.Res. 316), and for
joining other representatives in calling on President Bush to properly
characterize the Armenian Genocide.
Carapetian briefed Stark on the South Caucasus Integration and Open
Railroads Act of 2005 (H.R. 3361), introduced by Armenian Issues Caucus
Co-chairman Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). The group explained that the bill
would prevent any US financing of the $1 billion railway connecting Turkey
and Azerbaijan, if the track deliberately bypassed Armenia. They said the
Baku-Tibilisi-Kars railway project is one of a series of moves in the region
serving to undermine Armenia’s development rather than building regional
peace through inclusion of Armenia. Congressman Stark, a senior member of
the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, agreed to cosponsor the bill.
ANC members and constituents Hasmig Samurkashian and Khatchig Tazian joined
Carapetian in a meeting with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) in her Palo
Alto office on August 9th. The group updated Rep. Eshoo on the State
Department’s removal of US Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, for his
forthright characterization of the Armenian Genocide.
"I’m very concerned about the removal of US Ambassador to Armenia [John]
Evans and the nomination for his replacement, Ambassador Richard Hoagland…I
will do everything I can to oppose this unwarranted change," wrote
Congresswoman Eshoo in a letter following the meeting.
Rep. Eshoo, who is of Armenian and Assyrian descent, expressed her
appreciation for the ANCA’s continued advancement of issues of concern to
Armenian Americans as well as it’s early and continued support of her public
service. She cited the organization’s effort urging the Public Broadcasting
Service (PBS) to remove a program featuring a panel discussion on the
Armenian Genocide that framed the event as a debatable issue. Rep. Eshoo was
instrumental in the Bay Area effort that led to San Francisco PBS affiliate
KQED’s cancellation of the program.
Following the meeting with Rep. Stark, Carapetian visited the district
offices of Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA). In meetings
with the district directors and staff of each office, Carapetian reviewed
the ANCA’s mission and goals and thanked the Representatives for their
steadfast support of efforts to end the denial of the Armenian Genocide.
Collaborative initiatives aimed at raising each Representative’s involvement
in both legislative and community affairs were also discussed.
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Photo 1 caption: (From left to right) – Sergey Malyan, Armen Carapetian,
Rep. Pete Stark, and David Ojakian.
Photo 2 caption: (From left to right) – Hasmig Samurkashian, Rep. Anna
Eshoo, Khatchig Tazian, and Armen Carapetian.