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  • AAA: Assembly To Honor Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs

    Armenian Assembly of America
    122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
    Washington, DC 20001
    Phone: 202-393-3434
    Fax: 202-638-4904
    Email: info@aaainc.org
    Web: www.armenianassembly.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    March 31, 2004
    CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
    E-mail: ckojoian@aaainc.org

    ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY TO HONOR ARMENIAN CAUCUS CO-CHAIRS WITH PUBLIC SERVICE
    AWARD

    Washington, DC - The Armenian Assembly of America announced today that it
    will honor Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg
    (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) with the Deukmejian Award for Public
    Service at the upcoming National Conference and Banquet in Washington, DC.

    "The Assembly is proud to once again give this award to two individuals who
    exemplify its spirit - Congressmen Knollenberg and Pallone," said Assembly
    Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian.

    The congressmen will accept their awards during a banquet at the Mayflower
    Hotel on April 19.

    "We're looking forward to an exciting night as we pay tribute to two of our
    closest supporters in the House of Representatives and hear from our Senate
    friends, Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), who are
    the evening's keynote speakers," Barsamian added.

    The National Conference and Banquet, which is being held in cooperation with
    the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and the Eastern and Western
    Diocese of the Armenian Church, starts on Sunday, April 18 with a memorial
    service at the National Cathedral marking the 89th anniversary of the
    Armenian Genocide. After the service, the conference will officially open
    with a welcoming reception at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

    On Monday, activists will gain hands-on experience on the art of advocacy in
    preparation for their meetings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Monday's
    preparatory exercises will include workshops designed to hone participants'
    advocacy skills. Among the day's highlights will be a panel discussion on
    the "Secrets to Advocacy," which will be moderated by Assembly Board of
    Directors Vice Chair Lisa Esayian, and include former Congressman James
    Rogan (R-CA), New Hampshire State Representative Harry Haytayan (R-NH),
    legislative assistant for Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) Joanne Berry and
    Assembly Board of Directors member and one-time aide to former Governor
    Wilson (R-CA), Lisa Kalustian.

    The conference closes on Tuesday with a farewell breakfast followed by a
    full day of meetings with Members of Congress and their senior staff.

    Throughout their tenure in Congress, both Knollenberg and Pallone have been
    steadfast supporters of issues facing the Armenian community. They have
    repeatedly fought for affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, co-sponsoring
    legislation that would properly recognize the cataclysm of 1915 and urging
    President Bush, as well as his predecessors, to accurately characterize the
    events as genocide. The congressmen, working closely with their House
    colleagues on both sides of the political aisle, have also fought for
    increased funding to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, U.S.-Armenia trade
    normalization, the re-opening of Armenia's borders and maintaining Section
    907 of the Freedom Support Act, among other critical issues.

    Pallone, who created the Caucus in the mid-1990s, has traveled to Armenia
    and Karabakh on numerous occasions, most recently with fellow Caucus member
    Rep. Llyod Doggett (D-TX) as part of an Assembly-led delegation.
    Knollenberg, also a frequent visitor to Armenia, earned a unique distinction
    when in 2001 President Robert Kocharian awarded him the Order of Mkhitar
    Gosh.

    Since 1997, the Assembly has given the Deukmejian award, named after former
    California Governor George Deukmejian, to individuals who embody the
    qualities of an exemplary public servant. Among those who have received the
    award are: Representatives David Dreier (R-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and John
    Sweeney (R-NY), as well as Armenia's Minister of Trade and Industry Garnik
    Nanagoulian.

    Online registration is available via the Assembly Web site at
    www.aaainc.org. For more information on the Conference, contact Nancy Yerian
    Hiteshue at nancy@aaainc.org or (202) 393-3434.

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

    NR#2004-031

    Photograph available on the Assembly's Web site at the following link:

    http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-031/2004-031-1.jpg

    Caption: Congressmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ)
    flanked by Massachusetts State Representative Peter Koutoujian (D-10), far
    left, and New Hampshire State Representative Harry Haytayan (R-46), far
    right, during the Armenian Assembly's Advocacy Conference in Washington last
    April.
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