Tweet
Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.armenianassembly.org
PRESS RELEASE
March 17, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY STATE CHAIR, LOCAL ACTIVISTS MEET WITH SENATOR SNOWE
Washington, DC - Armenian Assembly State Chair for Maine Gerard Kiladjian on
March 15 led a meeting between local activists and Senator Olympia Snowe
(R-ME), briefing the senator on issues of concern to the Armenian-American
community and urging her to support a key piece of legislation that would
strengthen the U.S.-Armenia trade relationship.
Kiladjian, who previously met with Snowe during the Assembly's annual
Advocacy Conference in Washington last April, asked her to support S. 1557,
which would extend "permanent normal trade relations" (PNTR) to Armenia.
Kiladjian underscored the fact that passage of the bill would help offset
the damaging impact of Turkey's and Azerbaijan's blockades and result in an
even stronger relationship between the two countries.
Senator Snowe, currently in her second term in office, serves on the Senate
Finance Committee where the PNTR bill is currently pending.
The group of activists also discussed the Administration's attempt to
provide Azerbaijan a $6 million increase in military aid over Armenia in its
FY 2005 budget request to Congress. The Administration's request, which
calls for $8.75 million in military assistance for Azerbaijan and only $2.75
million for Armenia, sparked an Assembly call-to-action that encouraged the
community to reach out to their elected officials and address the apparent
imbalance.
Kiladjian also thanked Snowe for her co-sponsorship of the Senate Genocide
Resolution (S. Res. 164) and her longtime support of the state's
Armenian-American community. Last summer, Snowe's aide Renee Boghosian
Goodwin, who was also present at the meeting, represented her boss during a
community unveiling of an Armenian marker dedicated to the survivors of the
Armenian Genocide who settled in Bayside.
The district meeting, arranged by Armenian Assembly Grassroots Director
Nancy Yerian Hiteshue at Snowe's office in Portland, Maine, also included
Kathy Durgerian and Paul Proudian, who briefed the senator on Armenia's
history and provided her a map for future reference.
"We commend Gerard Kiladjian, who has been cultivating a relationship with
the senator, for taking the initiative and raising these critical issues,"
said Hiteshue. "We encourage all our state chairs, members and activists to
have similar meetings with their legislators and to make known our
community's concerns."
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#2004-029
Photograph available on the Assembly's Web site at the following link:
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-029/2004-029-1.jpg
Caption: L to R: Paul Proudian, Assembly State Chair for Maine Gerard
Kiladjian, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Renee Boghosian Goodwin and Kathy
Durgerian.
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.armenianassembly.org
PRESS RELEASE
March 17, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY STATE CHAIR, LOCAL ACTIVISTS MEET WITH SENATOR SNOWE
Washington, DC - Armenian Assembly State Chair for Maine Gerard Kiladjian on
March 15 led a meeting between local activists and Senator Olympia Snowe
(R-ME), briefing the senator on issues of concern to the Armenian-American
community and urging her to support a key piece of legislation that would
strengthen the U.S.-Armenia trade relationship.
Kiladjian, who previously met with Snowe during the Assembly's annual
Advocacy Conference in Washington last April, asked her to support S. 1557,
which would extend "permanent normal trade relations" (PNTR) to Armenia.
Kiladjian underscored the fact that passage of the bill would help offset
the damaging impact of Turkey's and Azerbaijan's blockades and result in an
even stronger relationship between the two countries.
Senator Snowe, currently in her second term in office, serves on the Senate
Finance Committee where the PNTR bill is currently pending.
The group of activists also discussed the Administration's attempt to
provide Azerbaijan a $6 million increase in military aid over Armenia in its
FY 2005 budget request to Congress. The Administration's request, which
calls for $8.75 million in military assistance for Azerbaijan and only $2.75
million for Armenia, sparked an Assembly call-to-action that encouraged the
community to reach out to their elected officials and address the apparent
imbalance.
Kiladjian also thanked Snowe for her co-sponsorship of the Senate Genocide
Resolution (S. Res. 164) and her longtime support of the state's
Armenian-American community. Last summer, Snowe's aide Renee Boghosian
Goodwin, who was also present at the meeting, represented her boss during a
community unveiling of an Armenian marker dedicated to the survivors of the
Armenian Genocide who settled in Bayside.
The district meeting, arranged by Armenian Assembly Grassroots Director
Nancy Yerian Hiteshue at Snowe's office in Portland, Maine, also included
Kathy Durgerian and Paul Proudian, who briefed the senator on Armenia's
history and provided her a map for future reference.
"We commend Gerard Kiladjian, who has been cultivating a relationship with
the senator, for taking the initiative and raising these critical issues,"
said Hiteshue. "We encourage all our state chairs, members and activists to
have similar meetings with their legislators and to make known our
community's concerns."
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#2004-029
Photograph available on the Assembly's Web site at the following link:
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-029/2004-029-1.jpg
Caption: L to R: Paul Proudian, Assembly State Chair for Maine Gerard
Kiladjian, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Renee Boghosian Goodwin and Kathy
Durgerian.