PALLONE, KNOLLENBERG ANNOUNCE KIRK AS NEW CO-CHAIRMAN OF ARMENIA CAUCUS

States News Service
December 17, 2008 Wednesday

The following information was released by the office of New Jersey
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.:

U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
co-chairmen of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, today
announced U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) as the incoming co-chairman of
the Caucus in the 111th Congress. Kirk will succeed Knollenberg as
co-chairman and will serve with Pallone in that capacity.

Kirk, who represents the 10th District of Illinois, is a member of
the House Appropriations Committee and sits on the State, Foreign
Operations Subcommittee. As a Naval Reserve intelligence officer,
Kirk has served tours of duty in Iraq, Haiti and Bosnia.

"I am proud of the work Joe Knollenberg and I have done during our
eight years as co-chairmen of the Caucus on Armenian Issues, and I
look forward to building on those successes and continuing to work
in a bipartisan fashion with Mark Kirk," Pallone said. "As an active
member on the foreign affairs subcommittee, Congressman Kirk will bring
a great deal of knowledge and leadership to his role as co-chairman
and will be an asset in working to advance the goals of the Caucus. In
the 111th Congress, the Caucus will continue to advocate for peace and
stability in Nagorno Karabakh, recognition of the Armenian Genocide
and Armenia’s economic integration in the Caucasus."

"I am delighted that Congressman Kirk has agreed to be the new Caucus
Co-Chair," Knollenberg said. "He’s a highly talented leader with a
record of success. It has been an honor to serve as Caucus Co-Chair and
I couldn’t have asked for a better ally than Frank Pallone. The Caucus
is lucky to have such strong leadership in these two individuals."

"After 20 years of working with the Armenian-American community to
advance the U.S.-Armenia issues, I am honored and excited to serve
alongside Congressman Pallone as co-chair of the Caucus on Armenian
Issues," Kirk said. "The Caucus on Armenian Issues is well-known for
its work to strengthen the U.S.-Armenia relationship and recognize
the Armenian Genocide. I look forward to working with Congressman
Pallone and all members of the Caucus to advance the U.S.-Armenia
relationship in the 111th Congress."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress