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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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY MISSION PARTICIPANTS TOUR ARMENIA, NKR
See First-Hand Affects of Assembly Projects, Initiatives
WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian Assembly of America led its ninth annual
Mission to Armenia, October 10-22, giving more than 60 of its Trustee
members the opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and realities
of life in their ancestral home.
Led by Board of Directors Vice-Chair Annie Totah, the Assembly's
Mission has grown increasingly popular with members who are
given access to high-ranking government officials and treated
to expert-guided tours of Armenia's historic sites and off-beat
attractions.
"The Mission is a highly unique experience and we were extremely
pleased that this year, more than 20 percent of the group were return
participants," said Totah. "Our members were able to see the
Assembly's ongoing contributions in Armenia and learn first-hand the
latest economic, social and political developments through meetings
with President Robert Kocharian's cabinet and talks with President
Arkady Ghoukasian and other officials. In addition, participants
thoroughly enjoyed Armenia's rich cultural life by attending musical
performances and visiting many of its museums."
The 12-day excursion began on October 10 in Vienna, Austria where
participants were treated to a dinner reception at the home of
Assembly supporter Arshalous Tcheknavorian-Asenbauer. Ambassador Jivan
Tabibian, a diplomat whose portfolio includes ambassadorships to four
countries and two international organizations, addressed the gathering,
urging supporters to remain politically active upon their return to
the U.S.
The following day, the group, which also included Board of Directors
Vice-Chair Lisa Esayian, Development Co-Chair and Associate Trustee
Lu Ann Ohanian and Deputy Executive Director Peter Abajian, arrived
in Yerevan. They were met by Assembly Country Director for Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh Arpi Vartanian, who assisted in planning and
leading the trip. During their first full day there, travelers took
a driving tour of the capital, stopping along the way to take in
their surroundings. That evening, they were joined by Assembly
Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian for a dinner at Old
Erivan Restaurant. Hovnanian, in his welcoming remarks, said:
"I commend all of you for your commitment to the Assembly and our
homeland, which brought you here today."
While in Armenia, the group was briefed by Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian and the Speaker of the National Assembly Artur
Baghdasarian. They also met with U.S. officials, including Ambassador
to Armenia John Evans, who along with his senior Embassy staff,
hosted a private reception in honor of Assembly participants.
Evans also provided a briefing on U.S.-Armenia bilateral relations.
Oskanian, for his part, thanked the Assembly group for their
significant contributions to the development of U.S.-Armenia relations
and discussed with them Armenia's foreign relations achievements,
including recent developments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and
relations with neighboring Turkey.
During an optional two-day trip to Nagorno Karabakh, participants
also met with President Arkady Ghoukasian and Chairman of the
National Assembly Oleg Yessayan. Ghoukasian began by expressing
his gratitude to the Armenian Assembly and its members by saying,
"Thank you for supporting us. This is our common homeland." He also
discussed the benefits of U.S. assistance for the people of Karabakh
and addressed the need to improve the standard of living and create
jobs. Mission participants asked Ghoukasian for a status report on
the NK negotiations, to which the President remarked, "We believe that
negotiations are the only way to resolving the issues." And added:
"We are ready to discuss any issue but Azerbaijan advances only those
issues which it considers the most significant for itself."
Karabakh travelers also visited Gandzasar and received a briefing and
demonstration of the HALO Trust's current landmine removal projects.
In Armenia, the group visited the Genocide Museum and Memorial at
Tsitsernakaberd, where they laid a wreath to commemorate the victims
and survivors of the Armenian Genocide. They also visited Khor Virab
and attended mass at Etchimiadzin. Mission participants also attend
the rededication of the St. Gayane Church which was renovated through
the generosity of Assembly member and retired California Supreme Court
Justice Armand Arabian and his wife, Nancy. While there, the group
had a sit down dinner with His Holiness, Karekin II, Catholicos of
All Armenians.
Additional trip highlights included a visit to the future site of
the Gerard L. Cafesjian Museum of Contemporary Art. Other stops
included the American University of Armenia and the Gyumri Center
for Aesthetic Education, where mission participants enjoyed a special
concert by the KOHAR Symphony Orchestra and Choir led by Maestro Sebouh
Apkarian. During their last night in Armenia, the group gathered for
a farewell dinner at Yerevan's Ararat Restaurant.
"As we toured the country, I noticed an overwhelming amount of emotion
and pride among those in our group," said Esayian. "Each of them
realized the part they have played, and continue to play, in Armenia's
and Karabakh's development through their involvement and support of
the Assembly."
Ohanian echoing Esayian, said that participants expressed their
appreciation for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. "As a result
of this trip, the Assembly is planning to add a Mission for the next
generation of leaders which will include families with children,
intern alumni and young working professionals. We hope many of our
members will take part in this trip early next summer."
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#2004-099
Photographs available on the Assembly's Web site at the following
links:
http://www.aaainc.org/images/pre ss/2004-099/2004-099-1.JPG
CAPTION: Armenian Assembly Mission participants commemorated the
victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide during a visit to the
Genocide Museum Memorial and Complex in Tsitsernakaberd.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-11.JPG
CAPTION: During a visit to the HALO Trust, a mine-sniffing dog and his
handler demonstrated the removal of dangerous landmines as Assembly
delegates looked on.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-3.JPG
CAPTION: Assembly supporter Arshalous Tcheknavorian-Asenbauer,
who hosted a reception for Mission participants at her Vienna home,
invited the group to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a school
she renovated in Armenia in her father's name.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-4.JPG
CAPTION: Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian with
Mission Leader Annie Totah, center, and Fellow Trustee Nancy Arabian
at the rededication of the St. Gayane Church in Etchmiadzin.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-12.JPG
CAPTION: Mission 2004 participants during a stop at the Cascade,
an entire hillside turned into a massive stair and known for its
beautiful views of Yerevan and Mount Ararat.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-6.JPG
CAPTION: Clockwise from top: Fellow Trustee Veronia Heath, Affiliate
Evelyn Daly, Associate Trustee Mrs. James Mukjian, Life Trustee
Mrs. Michael Ohanian, Life Trustee Mrs. Deran Hintlian and Development
Co-Chair Lu Ann Ohanian enjoy their first evening in Yerevan while
dining at Old Erivan Restaurant.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-7.JPG
CAPTION: Seated L to R: Mission Leader Annie Totah, Board of Trustees
Chairman Hirair Hovnanian and his wife, Anna Hovnanian listen to a
report from U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-8.jpg
CAPTION: Armenia's Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian reviewed
the country's foreign relations achievements and explained recent
developments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Seated next to Oskanian
is Mission Leader Annie Totah.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-9.JPG
CAPTION: Life Trustee Mrs. Michael Ohanian, along with her family,
participated in the Armenia Tree Project's (ATP) inauguration of the
Michael and Virginia Ohanian Environmental Center in Karin. Ohanian,
planted a ceremonial tree and spoke about her husband's relationship
with Stephen Mugar and his daughter, ATP founder Carolyn Mugar.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-10.JPG
CAPTION: Trip participants took part in a guided-tour of the CS
Media facilities, a state-of-the-art media complex in Yerevan.
####
--Boundary_(ID_LTndaARiGH7XqjP/iy7eHw)--
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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY MISSION PARTICIPANTS TOUR ARMENIA, NKR
See First-Hand Affects of Assembly Projects, Initiatives
WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian Assembly of America led its ninth annual
Mission to Armenia, October 10-22, giving more than 60 of its Trustee
members the opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and realities
of life in their ancestral home.
Led by Board of Directors Vice-Chair Annie Totah, the Assembly's
Mission has grown increasingly popular with members who are
given access to high-ranking government officials and treated
to expert-guided tours of Armenia's historic sites and off-beat
attractions.
"The Mission is a highly unique experience and we were extremely
pleased that this year, more than 20 percent of the group were return
participants," said Totah. "Our members were able to see the
Assembly's ongoing contributions in Armenia and learn first-hand the
latest economic, social and political developments through meetings
with President Robert Kocharian's cabinet and talks with President
Arkady Ghoukasian and other officials. In addition, participants
thoroughly enjoyed Armenia's rich cultural life by attending musical
performances and visiting many of its museums."
The 12-day excursion began on October 10 in Vienna, Austria where
participants were treated to a dinner reception at the home of
Assembly supporter Arshalous Tcheknavorian-Asenbauer. Ambassador Jivan
Tabibian, a diplomat whose portfolio includes ambassadorships to four
countries and two international organizations, addressed the gathering,
urging supporters to remain politically active upon their return to
the U.S.
The following day, the group, which also included Board of Directors
Vice-Chair Lisa Esayian, Development Co-Chair and Associate Trustee
Lu Ann Ohanian and Deputy Executive Director Peter Abajian, arrived
in Yerevan. They were met by Assembly Country Director for Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh Arpi Vartanian, who assisted in planning and
leading the trip. During their first full day there, travelers took
a driving tour of the capital, stopping along the way to take in
their surroundings. That evening, they were joined by Assembly
Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian for a dinner at Old
Erivan Restaurant. Hovnanian, in his welcoming remarks, said:
"I commend all of you for your commitment to the Assembly and our
homeland, which brought you here today."
While in Armenia, the group was briefed by Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian and the Speaker of the National Assembly Artur
Baghdasarian. They also met with U.S. officials, including Ambassador
to Armenia John Evans, who along with his senior Embassy staff,
hosted a private reception in honor of Assembly participants.
Evans also provided a briefing on U.S.-Armenia bilateral relations.
Oskanian, for his part, thanked the Assembly group for their
significant contributions to the development of U.S.-Armenia relations
and discussed with them Armenia's foreign relations achievements,
including recent developments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and
relations with neighboring Turkey.
During an optional two-day trip to Nagorno Karabakh, participants
also met with President Arkady Ghoukasian and Chairman of the
National Assembly Oleg Yessayan. Ghoukasian began by expressing
his gratitude to the Armenian Assembly and its members by saying,
"Thank you for supporting us. This is our common homeland." He also
discussed the benefits of U.S. assistance for the people of Karabakh
and addressed the need to improve the standard of living and create
jobs. Mission participants asked Ghoukasian for a status report on
the NK negotiations, to which the President remarked, "We believe that
negotiations are the only way to resolving the issues." And added:
"We are ready to discuss any issue but Azerbaijan advances only those
issues which it considers the most significant for itself."
Karabakh travelers also visited Gandzasar and received a briefing and
demonstration of the HALO Trust's current landmine removal projects.
In Armenia, the group visited the Genocide Museum and Memorial at
Tsitsernakaberd, where they laid a wreath to commemorate the victims
and survivors of the Armenian Genocide. They also visited Khor Virab
and attended mass at Etchimiadzin. Mission participants also attend
the rededication of the St. Gayane Church which was renovated through
the generosity of Assembly member and retired California Supreme Court
Justice Armand Arabian and his wife, Nancy. While there, the group
had a sit down dinner with His Holiness, Karekin II, Catholicos of
All Armenians.
Additional trip highlights included a visit to the future site of
the Gerard L. Cafesjian Museum of Contemporary Art. Other stops
included the American University of Armenia and the Gyumri Center
for Aesthetic Education, where mission participants enjoyed a special
concert by the KOHAR Symphony Orchestra and Choir led by Maestro Sebouh
Apkarian. During their last night in Armenia, the group gathered for
a farewell dinner at Yerevan's Ararat Restaurant.
"As we toured the country, I noticed an overwhelming amount of emotion
and pride among those in our group," said Esayian. "Each of them
realized the part they have played, and continue to play, in Armenia's
and Karabakh's development through their involvement and support of
the Assembly."
Ohanian echoing Esayian, said that participants expressed their
appreciation for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. "As a result
of this trip, the Assembly is planning to add a Mission for the next
generation of leaders which will include families with children,
intern alumni and young working professionals. We hope many of our
members will take part in this trip early next summer."
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#2004-099
Photographs available on the Assembly's Web site at the following
links:
http://www.aaainc.org/images/pre ss/2004-099/2004-099-1.JPG
CAPTION: Armenian Assembly Mission participants commemorated the
victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide during a visit to the
Genocide Museum Memorial and Complex in Tsitsernakaberd.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-11.JPG
CAPTION: During a visit to the HALO Trust, a mine-sniffing dog and his
handler demonstrated the removal of dangerous landmines as Assembly
delegates looked on.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-3.JPG
CAPTION: Assembly supporter Arshalous Tcheknavorian-Asenbauer,
who hosted a reception for Mission participants at her Vienna home,
invited the group to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a school
she renovated in Armenia in her father's name.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-4.JPG
CAPTION: Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian with
Mission Leader Annie Totah, center, and Fellow Trustee Nancy Arabian
at the rededication of the St. Gayane Church in Etchmiadzin.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-12.JPG
CAPTION: Mission 2004 participants during a stop at the Cascade,
an entire hillside turned into a massive stair and known for its
beautiful views of Yerevan and Mount Ararat.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-6.JPG
CAPTION: Clockwise from top: Fellow Trustee Veronia Heath, Affiliate
Evelyn Daly, Associate Trustee Mrs. James Mukjian, Life Trustee
Mrs. Michael Ohanian, Life Trustee Mrs. Deran Hintlian and Development
Co-Chair Lu Ann Ohanian enjoy their first evening in Yerevan while
dining at Old Erivan Restaurant.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-7.JPG
CAPTION: Seated L to R: Mission Leader Annie Totah, Board of Trustees
Chairman Hirair Hovnanian and his wife, Anna Hovnanian listen to a
report from U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-8.jpg
CAPTION: Armenia's Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian reviewed
the country's foreign relations achievements and explained recent
developments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Seated next to Oskanian
is Mission Leader Annie Totah.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-9.JPG
CAPTION: Life Trustee Mrs. Michael Ohanian, along with her family,
participated in the Armenia Tree Project's (ATP) inauguration of the
Michael and Virginia Ohanian Environmental Center in Karin. Ohanian,
planted a ceremonial tree and spoke about her husband's relationship
with Stephen Mugar and his daughter, ATP founder Carolyn Mugar.
http://www.aaainc.org/images/press/2004-099/2004-099-10.JPG
CAPTION: Trip participants took part in a guided-tour of the CS
Media facilities, a state-of-the-art media complex in Yerevan.
####
--Boundary_(ID_LTndaARiGH7XqjP/iy7eHw)--