Category: 2022

Ahead of the June 7 Primary Elections, friends of ANCA-WR gathered to support Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis

LOS ANGELES— Friends of the Armenian National Committee of America–Western Region held a fundraising event in support of California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis’s re-election campaign. The event was attended by friends of ANCA-WR, ANCA-WR board members, and representatives of the Armenian American community in California.
 
“Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis has been a dedicated friend to the Armenian-American community, so we are proud to support her re-election,” remarked Chair of the ANCA-WR Board of Directors, Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “We are grateful for the Lieutenant Governor’s principled positions on the Armenian Genocide and Artsakh over the years and her dedication to the empowerment of Armenian-Americans in California.” 

ANCA-WR Board and staff members with Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis Friends of ANCA-WR at the fundraiser for Lt. Gov. Kounalakis

During the event, Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis had an honest discussion about issues concerning the Armenian community in California, including the integration challenges faced by Armenian immigrants, the challenges facing Armenian youth in California, the rising levels of cost-of-living, poverty and homelessness, as well as the security threats posed by Turkey and Azerbaijan against the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.

“It has been an honor to represent California’s vibrant Armenian community during my tenure as Lieutenant Governor,” said Kounalakis during the event. “The contributions Armenian-Americans have made to our state over generations is a testament to their hard work and their dedication to the pursuit of the American Dream.”

Kounalakis, who previously served as the United States Ambassador to Hungary from 2010 to 2013, was the first Greek-American woman ever to serve as a U.S. ambassador, and is the author of “Madam Ambassador: Three Years of Diplomacy, Dinner Parties, and Democracy in Budapest.” 
 
During the fundraising event, Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis recalled the events of August 2012, when Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suddenly repatriated Ramil Safarov, an Azeri serving a life term in Hungary for hacking an Armenian soldier (Lt. Gurgen Margaryan) to death during a NATO-sponsored training program. She reiterated that PM Orban’s decision to repatriate the axe murderer to Azerbaijan ended Hungary’s two-decade status as a reliable strategic partner of the United States.
 
The fundraising event in support of Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis was hosted at the prestigious City Club of Los Angeles by longtime ANCA-WR supporter Michael Mahdesian. Mahdesian is currently Chairman of the Board of Servicon Systems, Inc., a business based in Los Angeles. He has previously served as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Response between 1993 and 2000 and was the former Executive Director of the United Armenian Fund’s airlift to the 1988 earthquake victims in Armenia. 
 
“We thank Mr. Mahdesian for his forty-years of support to ANCA-WR’s efforts to deliver justice for the Armenian Genocide and security to the people of Armenia and Artsakh,” said Levon Kirakosian, Esq., ANCA-WR Board Advisor.
 
The ANCA-WR endorsed Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis on April 19, 2022. The primary elections are set to take place on June 7, while the General Elections are scheduled for November 8. 
 
Over the past several months, ANCA-WR has been announcing its endorsements as it works tirelessly to ensure issues of significance to the Armenian-American community are addressed by candidates ahead of the upcoming elections. 
 
The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis (center) met with local Armenian American community leaders and a visiting craftsman, who restored the Colorado State Capitol khachkar in early April 2022. © 2022 Governor Polis’s Office

DENVER—The Colorado chapter of the Armenian National Committee of America endorsed Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ reelection bid in the upcoming June 28 Colorado Primary. 

“Gov. Polis has stood with the Armenian community locally and globally in recognizing the Armenian Genocide and has spoken out against Armenophobia and the genocidal onslaught against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh),” said ANCA Colorado board member Kim Christianian. “We are thrilled and honored to endorse Gov. Polis’ reelection bid.” 

On April 24, Governor Polis commemorated the Armenian Genocide in a video address, highlighting the ongoing threats to Armenian existence. “I stand today with the Armenian community in Colorado and across the world as they commemorate the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,” said the Governor.

“Colorado has always stood with the Armenian people — whether through humanitarian fundraising during and after WWI, the permanent installation of the State Capitol Khachkar in memory of the victims of all crimes against humanity, and raising our voice against Armenophobic hate crimes globally,” added Gov. Polis. “I know that as Armenians remember the Genocide this week, they are concerned about attempts at repeating the Armenian Genocide in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Never again should mean never again — anywhere and everywhere in the world.” 

As part of the governor’s ongoing engagement with the Armenian community in Colorado, on April 7, during the restoration of the Colorado State Capitol Armenian Memorial Khachkar, Gov. Polis met with restoration craftsman Gaspar Gharibyan, accompanied by ANCA Colorado board member Simon Maghakyan, Armenians of Colorado (AOC) Board President Byuzand Yeremyan, and AOC Board member Narek Sargsyan. 

On April 1, Gov. Polis proclaimed the month of April as Genocide Awareness Month, noting that “the State of Colorado has commemorated all genocides and crimes against humanity with a permanent Khachkar memorial on the Colorado State Capitol grounds,” and how “it is important to remember and commemorate the 20^th-century genocides perpetrated against Armenians, Jews, Cambodians, Bosnians, and Rwandans, among others.” 

In previous years, Gov. Polis similarly issued statements in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and in solidarity of the Armenian community. ANCA Colorado is a chapter of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region, which is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots organization in the Western United States. Working with its network of local offices and chapters throughout the region, the ANCA-WR ensures that the concerns of the Armenian American community are heard in the halls of government. All members of the community who are U.S. citizens are encouraged to support the Armenian Cause by voting in each election.

The Artsakh National Assembly

The four factions in Artsakh’s parliament issued a statement voicing their collective chagrin with President of the European Council Charles Michel, whom they claim is distorting the “essence of the Karabakh conflict settlement” and the processes that have taken place during the past 30 years that ensured, among other things, Artsakh’s right to self-determination.

Michel issued a statement Monday summing up the results of a meeting he hosted with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, who agreed to fast track discussion on the demarcation and elimination of the borders between the two countries, as well as the so-called “peace talks” that recently have dominated the discourse around the Karabakh conflict settlement issue.

“The unified position of the people and authorities of Artsakh was presented in a statement by the [Artsakh] National Assembly dated April 14 of this year, thereby confirming that the agenda of discussions and negotiations held through international institutions were acceptable to us only if they they correspond to the provisions laid out waiting the said statement,” explains the Artsakh parliamentary blocs.

“Charles Michel’s statement on the results of the recent trilateral meeting in Brussels is baffling since it distorts the essence of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and its legacy accumulated over 30 years through the negotiation processes,” the statement emphasized.

“For the first time in the negotiation discourse, an attempt is being made to abandon the political and geographical concept of ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’ and the phrase ‘ethnic Armenian population of Karabakh’ has been introduced. All this is completely in line with the positions articulate by the leadership of Azerbaijan prior to the Brussels meeting and recently in general, and demonstrates a retreat by the current authorities of Armenia on its foreign policy front,” the statement pointed out.

“The active role of the European Council in the issue of opening the ‘era of peace’ between Armenia and Azerbaijan at an accelerated pace could be understood if the response to the aggression provoked by Azerbaijan against the people of the Republic of Artsakh in September 2020 were vocalized with the same consistency. The emphasis on security and protection of rights during the 44-day war would have been acceptable to some extent for the people of Artsakh, who were defending their sovereignty,” emphasized the Artsakh lawmakers.

In the current circumstances, the authorities of Armenia are obliged to act solely from the standpoint of promoting and protecting the rights of the Artsakh people to self-determination in international instances, based on the decision of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia on July 8, 1992, according to which ‘any domestic or international document is unacceptable for Armenia, in which Nagorno-Karabakh is celebrated as part of Azerbaijan,’” the lawmakers explained.

“For the authorities governing both in Artsakh and Armenia, the priority should be declarations on the proclamation of two Armenian republics, the values enshrined in the decision of September 2, 1991, and the independence referendum of December 10, 1991. Not a single official, not a single political force is authorized to independently decide the future of our Homeland, for the formation of which thousands of our sons gave their lives,” added the statement.

“We are faced with the imperative of making historic decisions, and no one can evade that responsibility for future generations,” the Artsakh lawmakers concluded.

ANCA Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan discusses Artsakh security and the effects of ongoing Azerbaijani aggression with Gegham Stepanyan, the Artsakh Republic Human Rights Defender.

Yerimyan: ‘Artsakh’s Security and Sovereignty are ANCA’s Top Advocacy Priorities

STEPANAKERT / WASHINGTON—The Republic of Artsakh’s security, socio-economic growth, and youth empowerment were at the center of the Armenian National Committee of America’s recent working visit to Artsakh, during which three professional staff consulted closely with government officials, humanitarian groups, and civil society leaders regarding the ANCA’s array of pro-Artsakh advocacy initiatives.  

ANCA Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan, IT Director Nerses Semerjian, and Programs Director Alex Manoukian were joined by the ANC International’s Gevorg Ghukasyan in a week-long fact-finding mission to Artsakh.  While there, they worked closely with the ANC of Artsakh, which was launched in September 2021, to focus on protecting the rights of Artsakh’s citizens, securing international recognition of the Artsakh Republic, and restoring Artsakh’s territorial integrity. The visit took place as the ANCA ramps up advocacy for pro-Artsakh priorities in the Fiscal Year 2023 Foreign Aid Bill and FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

The ANCA team shared pro-Artsakh advocacy priorities in a meeting with Republic of Artsakh Foreign Minister David Babayan The ANCA discusses socio-economic challenges facing the Artsakh population following the 2020 war and the need for expanded humanitarian assistance with Artsakh Republic Minister of Social Development and Migration Armine Petrosyan The ANCA and ANC Artsakh teams discuss Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center plans for expansion with founder and director Vardan Tadevosyan.

“Artsakh’s security and sovereignty are the ANCA’s top advocacy priorities,” explained Yerimyan. “We appreciated the opportunity to speak with government officials, as well as civic and community organizations to understand Artsakh’s challenges firsthand in order to better advocate for policies that will ensure the safety of the people of Artsakh and ensure their right to determine their own destiny on their ancestral lands,” added Yerimyan.  “We look forward to sharing insights about the long-term effects of the 2020 war and ongoing Azerbaijani aggression with U.S. officials, as we continue to work to end U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan and expand U.S. aid to Artsakh.”

The ANCA team discussed Artsakh’s geopolitical challenges with Foreign Minister David Babayan and shared the ANCA’s current federal level efforts calling on President Biden to maintain FREEDOM Support Act Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan and Congressional efforts to block any additional military assistance to the dictatorial Aliyev regime.  Yerimyan also outlined the ANCA’s work with the Biden Administration and members of Congress to secure sanctions against Azerbaijan and Turkey for war crimes committed during their 2020 attack on Artsakh and Armenia. The ANCA’s work with groups like the Armenian Legal Center for Human Rights and Justice to impose international political and legal pressure on the Aliyev Administration to release over 200 Armenian prisoners of war was also discussed, among a broad range of pressing topics.

ANCA team with HALO Trust leaders The ANCA and ANC Artsakh teams on the field with The HALO Trust Artsakh directors and deminers ANCA IT Director Nerses Semerjian chats with a Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center staff member The ANCA, ANC-International, and AYF Eastern Region team traveling to Artsakh for a working visit in early May

During meetings with Artsakh Republic Minister of Social Development and Migration Armine Petrosyan, the ANCA team learned new details about the plight of the 100,000 Armenian refugees forced from their ancestral homes during the 2020 war, and efforts to assist their return to Artsakh. They discussed the important role expanded U.S. assistance to Artsakh would play in the everyday lives of Artsakh Armenians and ongoing Armenian American community efforts to secure $50 million as part of the FY2023 Foreign Aid Bill. The ANCA team also met with Artsakh representatives of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) and Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association to learn about their programs on the ground to help families affected by the war.  Among programs discussed were the ARS “Stand with an Artsakh Family” relief project and Hamazkayin’s “Children of Artsakh” initiative.  During an uplifting visit to the ARS Soseh Kindergarten, the ANCA team was treated to special dance and poetry presentations by the children.

ANCA Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan with children at the ARS Soseh Kindergarten

Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan discussed the effects of Azerbaijan’s ongoing attacks on border villages and the water and gas challenges facing the Artsakh population.  During the March 2022, Azerbaijani disruption of the gas pipeline, Stepanyan brought international attention to the crisis through daily reports, which the ANCA shared with elected officials.  He continues to monitor and investigate the latest incidents and offered detailed reports on Azerbaijan’s targeting of civilian populations. Stepanyan continues to work closely with families whose relatives remain prisoners of war in Azerbaijan and advocates for their immediate release.  The ANCA team spoke with several former prisoners who had returned from Azerbaijani captivity and heard their harrowing stories of survival.

“Meeting with returned refugees from the 2020 Artsakh war and speaking with families who lived through the Azerbaijani bombing of Stepanakert was a powerful reminder of the incredible resilience of Artsakh Armenians and the very real impact of worldwide ANC – Hai Tahd – advocacy in support of Artsakh self-determination and freedom,” said Nerses Semerjian.  “We look forward to sharing Artsakh’s story of survival with elected officials and community members alike – as we work to expand the ANCA’s network of chapters and advocates across the U.S.”

During meetings with Vardan Tadevosyan, the founder and director of the Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center, the ANCA team learned more about the life-changing assistance the center provides for soldiers and civilians injured during the 2020 Artsakh war, while working with children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. 

The Center, first established in 1998 through a partnership of local health officials and then-Speaker of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords, Baroness Caroline Cox (a trained nurse), is respected internationally for its leadership in rehabilitation. Following the 2020 Artsakh war, the Center has assisted 1800 patients per year at their facility and served another 300 homebound patients in surrounding regions.  The ANCA has long called for U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Center to increase outpatient services and expand its reach into isolated, rural, and impoverished areas.

The ANCA team also met with representatives of The HALO Trust, whose demining efforts have saved countless lives in Artsakh for over two decades, in part through ANCA-supported U.S. assistance. The HALO Trust hit a demining milestone last week, announcing that they had just finished clearing the Artsakh capital, Stepanakert, of all known unexploded ordnance – a major feat since over 20% of Stepanakert had been contaminated during the 2020 Artsakh war.  The ANCA continues to support U.S. demining assistance to the HALO Trust to clear Martuni and Martakert, the second and third-most densely populated cities in Artsakh, particularly given the increasing flow of returning civilians to the area. Program Officer Alexey Adikov discussed the ongoing dangers unexploded ordnance pose to Artsakh civilians, escorting the ANCA team to a field near Stepanakert, where demining experts disposed of an unexploded U.S.-made M77 mine from the 2020 war.

During the ANCA working visit, the team also explored ways to encourage broader Artsakh youth civic participation, offering best practices developed through the ANCA’s broad range of student empowerment and career services programs.  ANCA Programs Director Alex Manoukian is working closely with the ANC of Artsakh to explore remote and in-person intern exchanges between Artsakh and the U.S., with a focus on university students interested in policy, politics, and media.  Manoukian, who also serves on the Armenian Youth Federation Eastern Region Central Executive, teamed up with AYF-ER Central Junior Council member Shirag Ohannesian in visiting with AYF chapters throughout Artsakh to expand cooperation through the AYF “Together for Artsakh” program.

“This is my second visit to Artsakh in the past six months, and each time our ANCA Board members and staff visit, we return with new ideas to strengthen the bond with the people – and particularly our youth,” said Alex Manoukian.  “Working with the ANC of Artsakh and the AYF, we look forward to building on existing programs and establishing new ones to help Artsakh students and recent graduates build a brighter future in their ancestral homeland.”

Prior to the ANCA working visit to Artsakh, Yerimyan submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, outlining Armenian American pro-Artsakh priorities, with a sharp focus on ending all U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan and delivering an urgently needed $50 million aid package to Artsakh.

In her testimony, Yerimyan made the case that, in the wake of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and amid Baku’s ongoing occupation of sovereign Armenian territory, the U.S. Congress should hold the Aliyev regime accountable by cutting off all U.S. military aid to its armed forces. She also pressed for a long-term developmental investment in Artsakh to help its families “rebuild their lives and resettle in safety upon their indigenous Armenian homeland.”

Yerimyan will be submitting testimony to the corresponding Senate panel shortly, sharing the ANCA team’s latest findings.