PRESS RELEASE
234 Ford House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-6460
Hon. Alcee L. Hastings, Chairman
Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Co-Chairman
Media Contact: Lale Mamaux
202.225.1901
April 11, 2008
U.S. HELSINKI COMMISSION TO HOLD HEARING ON ARMENIA
(Washington, D.C.) Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Chairman of the
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission)
and Co-Chairman Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), will hold a hearing
entitled, "Armenia after the Election," on Thursday, April 17 at 2:00 p.m.
in room B-318 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
Since the February 19 presidential election, Armenia has experienced its
most serious political crisis in over a decade. The March 1 confrontation
between the authorities and supporters of the opposition resulted in at
least eight fatalities and the imposition of a state of emergency, causing
serious damage to Armenia’s reputation. Although Prime Minister Serzh
Sarkissian has been elected President, some opposition leaders refuse to
recognize the outcome and government opposition relations remain tense. The
state of emergency has been lifted but restrictions on freedom of assembly
continue in effect.
The hearing will focus on the ramifications of these developments for
Armenia and the United States, especially the ongoing Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh
and Armenia s qualifications for assistance from the Millennium Challenge
Account.
Testifying before the Commission will be:
Mr. Matthew Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs
Mr. Vigen Sargsian, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Armenia
Mr. Arman Grigorian, Spokesman for former President Levon Ter-Petrossian
The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the
Helsinki Commission, is a U.S. Government agency that monitors progress in
the implementation of the provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords. The
Commission consists of nine members from the United States Senate, nine from
the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of
State, Defense and Commerce.