Armenian Assembly of America
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Phone: 202-393-3434
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PRESS RELEASE

February 3, 2009
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: mzachariades@aaainc.org
Phone: (202) 393-3434

SENATOR ENSIGN TO HEADLINE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA RECEPTION AT
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM BUILDING

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) is pleased
to announce that Senator John Ensign (R-NV), will be the Guest of Honor
at its Monday night reception during the 2009 National Advocacy
Conference in Washington, DC, March 1-3.

"I applaud the important work of the Armenian Assembly and I look
forward to working with my Senate colleagues to prevent future genocides
and combat denial of the Armenian Genocide," said Ensign.

Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2000, Senator Ensign has
consistently supported Armenian-American issues. In April 2006, Senator
Ensign, along with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), co-authored a letter
urging President Bush to reaffirm the Armenian Genocide. The letter
read, in part, "As a world leader, it is important that the United
States reaffirm the incontestable facts of history witnessed and
reported by U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau… Denial of the Armenian
Genocide diminishes the value we place on human life and the principles
of liberty on which this country is founded." Then-Senators Barack Obama
and Hillary Clinton both signed the letter as well. Ensign also
introduced S.Res. 164, a resolution that marked the anniversary of U.S.
implementation of the U.N. Genocide Convention.

In March 2007, following the introduction of H.Res. 106, which was
subsequently approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senators
Durbin and Ensign introduced a companion measure, S.Res. 106, which
called upon the President to "ensure that the foreign policy of the
United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity
concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing and genocide
documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian
Genocide."

Speaking about the Conference and the growing support for this event
from Members of Congress, Conference Co-Chairs Rachel Kaprielian and
Peter Kezirian said: "This Conference represents an important
opportunity to ensure that we offer our members and activists a venue to
meet with policy makers, as a new chapter in U.S.-Armenia relations is
crafted."

The reception will be held at the site of the Armenian Genocide Museum
of America (AGMA), formerly the National Bank of Washington. The Museum
building is strategically located two blocks from the White House.
Dedicated to the memory of the victims and the survivors, AGMA will
serve as a center for genocide education, prevention and affirmation.

In March 2008, the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), which is
charged with responsibility for the protection, enhancement and
perpetuation of properties of historical, cultural and aesthetic merit
in the District of Columbia, in a unanimous vote gave concept approval
for the AGMA. HPRB commissioners are appointed by the mayor of the
District of Columbia.

The former National Bank of Washington has interior and exterior
designations on the National Register of Historic Places. Only a dozen
privately-owned structures in the capital city have such a high level of
historic designation. The bank building is slated for complete
restoration and renovation, as well as application as the exhibit space
for AGMA.

AGMA has contracted the firms of Martinez & Johnson Architecture, which
specializes in the rehabilitation of historic buildings, Gallagher &
Associates, as its exhibit design firm, and Regan Associates, as the
project management firm. Martinez & Johnson Architecture and Gallagher &
Associates have been working on the development of the museum project
since mid-2007. Regan Associates joined the planning team in February of
2008.

The Armenian Genocide Museum of America is an outgrowth of the Armenian
Assembly of America and the Armenian National Institute (ANI), catalyzed
by the initial pledge of Anoush Mathevosian toward building such a
museum in Washington, DC.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

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