Senator Anthony Portantino with representatives of the Friends of ANCA-WR and supporters at a fundraiser reception held in support of run for Congress

Friends of ANCA Western Region held a fundraiser reception on January 21 in support of Senator Anthony Portantino’s bid to continue his journey of public service at the U.S. Congress. The event was hosted by Mr. & Mrs. Levon and Silva Kirakosian and attended by friends of ANCA-WR, ANCA-WR board members, and representatives of the Armenian American community in California. 

In February of 2023, ANCA-WR announced its endorsement of Senator Portantino’s campaign to succeed Rep. Adam Schiff of the 30th Congressional District of California, which is home to the largest Armenian-American population in the United States.

“The ANCA Western Region enthusiastically supports Senator Anthony Portantino’s campaign for Congress. We have full confidence that Senator Portantino will maintain and enhance his impressive record of supporting Armenia, Artsakh, and our broader community when he steps into his role in Washington DC,” said Nora Hovsepian Esq., Chair of the ANCA Western Region.

Senator Anthony Portantino addressing attendees at the fundraiser reception

Senator Portantino has been a formidable force in championing the causes of the Armenian community, demonstrating an unwavering commitment that resonates deeply with his constituents. During his visit to Artsakh as the first elected official from the United States since the end of the 44-day war, Senator Portantino observed the impact of Azerbaijan’s acts of aggression and also engaged with local leaders and heroes, solidifying his resolve to advocate for the recognition of Artsakh and to support the rights and dignity of its people.

Building on Senator Portantino’s record of achievements and recognition, Portantino has been honored twice with the “Legislator of the Year” award by the ANCA-WR at its Annual Awards Gala Banquets. The first recognition came in 2011, during his tenure as a State Assemblymember for California’s 44th Assembly District, and the second in 2017, a year after he was elected to his current role as State Senator for California’s 25th Senatorial District.

In 2018, Senator Portantino and other state and local leaders visited Armenia as part of an ANCA-WR-led delegation focused on deepening economic ties between California and Armenia. In his still-standing tenure as the Senate Appropriations Committee Chair, Senator Portantino secured a $10 million allocation for the Armenian American Museum in Governor Newsom’s budget, and during his time as Chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education (2018-2019), he successfully earmarked $500,000 for Armenian Genocide education in California’s State Budget.

Executive Chairman of the Armenian American Museum Berdj Karapetian addressing attendees at the event

In 2021, he led the charge with Senate Bill 457, co-introduced with Senator Scott Wilk, to halt California’s funding to the Turkish Government, a move aimed at protesting Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. This legislation led to California’s largest state-employee pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, ceasing investments in Turkish government-backed securities. Furthermore, in April of 2023, Senator Portantino co-authored Senate Resolution 28, which seeks to annually reaffirm California’s recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

More recently, Senator Portantino and 21 other California legislators penned a letter to President Biden, addressing and condemning Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh, and following Azerbaijan’s full-scale assault and ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in September of 2023, the Senator called upon the United States to “hold Azerbaijan accountable and immediately cut military aid.”

Senator Portantino with representatives of the Armenian American community

“On behalf of the friends of the ANCA Western Region, we were delighted to host this fundraiser for Senator Portantino’s Congressional campaign. Having worked closely with the Senator for numerous years, we are certain that he will continue to champion the Armenian cause and advocate for the interests of the Armenian American community once his bid for congress is successful,” said Levon Kirakosian, Esq., who hosted the fundraiser at his home in California. 

Senator Portantino’s leadership has also been instrumental in his founding of the Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia, and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art, and Cultural Exchange. This committee, the first of its kind, aims to enhance business opportunities, cultural awareness, and education between California, Armenia, and Artsakh, promising a brighter future for mutual economic and cultural prosperity.

“We are in the home stretch of the campaign and I was very grateful to Silva and Levon Kirakosian for hosting my campaign along with friends of the ANCA WR. Winning campaigns are about collaboration and grassroots support. The ANCA is the largest Armenian American grassroots organization in the US and I’m honored to be the preferred candidate of ANCA Western Region. Ballots will shortly be available and we are charging toward a positive outcome.  I appreciate Western Regions’ strong, early and continued support,” said Senator Anthony Portantino at the fundraiser hosted at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Levon and Silva Kirakosian.  

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, ANCA WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Monday challenged Azerbaijan’s credentials to the body on which called “substantive grounds.”
 
In making the challenge, Frank Schwabe (Germany) cited political prisoners in the country, the violent displacement of people from Nagorno-Karabakh, the fact that Assembly rapporteurs were unable to visit Azerbaijan at least three times during 2023, and the lack of an invitation to the Assembly to observe the country’s February 7 presidential election in Azerbaijan, a press statement from PACE said.

At least 30 other members from five delegations supported Schwabe’s motion.
 
“The challenge was immediately referred to the Assembly’s Monitoring Committee for report and to its Rules Committee for opinion, and will be debated by the Assembly on the evening of Wednesday January 24,” the statement added.
 
It is noted that under the PACE rules, the body must vote for one of three options: to ratify the credentials, not to ratify them, or to ratify them “together with depriving or suspending the exercise of some of the rights of participation or representation of members of the delegation concerned in the activities of the Assembly and its bodies.
 
“The members of Azerbaijan’s delegation may sit provisionally with the same rights as other Assembly members until the Assembly has reached a decision, but shall not vote in any proceedings relating to the examination of their credentials,” the statement explained.

EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks to reporters on Jan. 22

The European Union expressed serious concern over Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s latest territorial claims from Armenia when he doubled down on his scheme to have a land “corridor” through Armenia to Nakhichevan.

“The latest territorial claims by President Aliyev are very concerning, and any violation of Armenia’s territorial integrity would be unacceptable and will have severe consequences for our relations with Azerbaijan,” the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, which discussed the Armenia and Azerbaijan normalization process.

The EU foreign ministers reportedly called for ongoing peace talks between Yerevan and Baku, which have stalled because Azerbaijan has canceled previous-scheduled talks mediated by Brussels.

“We agreed that Azerbaijan needs to return to substantive peace and normalization talks with Armenia,” Borrell added.

Citing the November 9, 2020 agreement, Aliyev, earlier this month, renewed his claims for a so-called “corridor” through Armenia, saying that without such a route he would not open Azerbaijan’s borders with Armenia.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week said that the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan never discussed a corridor, adding that it is not part of the November 9, 2020 agreement.

When making his “corridor” remarks, Aliyev also renewed his demand for Armenia’s withdrawal from “eight Azerbaijani villages,” which he claims Armenia is occupying.