SENATOR ENSIGN TO HEADLINE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA RECEPTION AT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM BUILDING
armradio.am
04.02.2009 11:21
The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) announces 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.