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PRESS RELEASE
ARMENPAC, The Armenian-American Political Action Committee
421 E. Airport Freeway, Suite 201
Irving, Texas 75220
Contact: Jason P. Capizzi, Esq.
Tel: 972-635-5347
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.armenpac.org
ARMENPAC GAINS CONGRESSMAN AND SENATORIAL HOPEFUL ROB ANDREWS'
COSPONSORSHIP OF RAIL BILL - H.R. 3361
Irving, TX - ARMENPAC is hard at work continually meeting with members of
the United States Congress to garner a bipartisan majority for
Armenian-American issues. Most recently, ARMENPAC met with Congressman
Rob Andrews (D-NJ) and received his commitment to cosponsor H.R. 3361, the
South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2005. `ARMENPAC
thanks Congressman Andrews for his ongoing support of Armenian-American
issues and for his leadership on behalf of our community,' said ARMENPAC
Board Member Jirair Hovnanian.
Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), along with Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA),
recently introduced H.R. 3361, which would prohibit United States
assistance in developing or promoting rail connections that traverse or
connect Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, and bypass Armenia. H.R. 3361,
therefore, disallows United States support for the proposed
Kars-Tblisi-Baku rail link, which isolates Armenia from East-West
commercial corridors.
In a recent letter to United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
Members of Congress expressed their dismay over plans to develop the
Kars-Tblisi-Baku rail link, which is estimated to cost between $400-800
million and could take years to construct, while overlooking the existing
Turkey-Armenia (Kars-Gymuri) line, which could be operational in weeks
with only a few minor repairs. In pertinent part, the letter stated that
`[o]pen and integrated transportation routes among Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Turkey are necessary to promote cooperation, support economic
growth and help resolve regional conflicts. Unfortunately, this policy is
being undermined by efforts to exclude Armenia in regional development
projects... In no way should the United States condone a proposal or program
that directly undermines our goal of fostering integration and cooperation
among the countries of the region.'
`ARMENPAC supports H.R. 3361, which promotes security, trade and economic
development within the entire South Caucasus, and urges Secretary Rice to
denounce Turkey's plans to move forward with the proposed Kars-Tblisi-Baku
rail link,' said ARMENPAC Co-Chair Edgar Hagopian.
Congressman Rob Andrews' cosponsorship of H.R. 3361 is greatly appreciated
as ARMENPAC encourages additional Members of Congress to do the same and
help prevent Turkey from moving forward with this ill-proposed project.
To date, H.R. 3361 only has thirty-one (31) cosponsors. `Please contact
your Representative today and urge him or her to join the bipartisan
effort to prevent the Kars-Tblisi-Baku rail link from moving forward by
cosponsoring H.R. 3361,' said ARMENPAC Co-Chair Annie Totah.
Congressman Rob Andrews is a member of the Armenian Caucus, and serves on
the Armed Services Committee and the Education and the Workforce
Committee. In addition to H.R. 3361, Congressman Andrews is a cosponsor
of H.Res. 316, an Armenian Genocide resolution reaffirming the United
States record on this crime against humanity. Congressman Andrews is
currently vying, as well as Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Robert
Menendez (D-NJ), among others, for an appointment as Senator Jon Corzine's
(D-NJ) successor in the United States Senate. Senator Corzine is favored
to win the New Jersey Gubernatorial election in November 2005.
ARMENPAC is an independent, bipartisan political action committee
established to shape public policy by raising awareness of, and advocating
for, Armenian-American issues. ARMENPAC provides financial support to
federal officeholders, candidates, political action committees and
organizations that actively support issues of importance to
Armenian-Americans. For more information and how to join ARMENPAC, please
visit www.armenpac.org.
ARMENPAC, The Armenian-American Political Action Committee
421 E. Airport Freeway, Suite 201
Irving, Texas 75220
Contact: Jason P. Capizzi, Esq.
Tel: 972-635-5347
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.armenpac.org
ARMENPAC GAINS CONGRESSMAN AND SENATORIAL HOPEFUL ROB ANDREWS'
COSPONSORSHIP OF RAIL BILL - H.R. 3361
Irving, TX - ARMENPAC is hard at work continually meeting with members of
the United States Congress to garner a bipartisan majority for
Armenian-American issues. Most recently, ARMENPAC met with Congressman
Rob Andrews (D-NJ) and received his commitment to cosponsor H.R. 3361, the
South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2005. `ARMENPAC
thanks Congressman Andrews for his ongoing support of Armenian-American
issues and for his leadership on behalf of our community,' said ARMENPAC
Board Member Jirair Hovnanian.
Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), along with Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA),
recently introduced H.R. 3361, which would prohibit United States
assistance in developing or promoting rail connections that traverse or
connect Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, and bypass Armenia. H.R. 3361,
therefore, disallows United States support for the proposed
Kars-Tblisi-Baku rail link, which isolates Armenia from East-West
commercial corridors.
In a recent letter to United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
Members of Congress expressed their dismay over plans to develop the
Kars-Tblisi-Baku rail link, which is estimated to cost between $400-800
million and could take years to construct, while overlooking the existing
Turkey-Armenia (Kars-Gymuri) line, which could be operational in weeks
with only a few minor repairs. In pertinent part, the letter stated that
`[o]pen and integrated transportation routes among Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Turkey are necessary to promote cooperation, support economic
growth and help resolve regional conflicts. Unfortunately, this policy is
being undermined by efforts to exclude Armenia in regional development
projects... In no way should the United States condone a proposal or program
that directly undermines our goal of fostering integration and cooperation
among the countries of the region.'
`ARMENPAC supports H.R. 3361, which promotes security, trade and economic
development within the entire South Caucasus, and urges Secretary Rice to
denounce Turkey's plans to move forward with the proposed Kars-Tblisi-Baku
rail link,' said ARMENPAC Co-Chair Edgar Hagopian.
Congressman Rob Andrews' cosponsorship of H.R. 3361 is greatly appreciated
as ARMENPAC encourages additional Members of Congress to do the same and
help prevent Turkey from moving forward with this ill-proposed project.
To date, H.R. 3361 only has thirty-one (31) cosponsors. `Please contact
your Representative today and urge him or her to join the bipartisan
effort to prevent the Kars-Tblisi-Baku rail link from moving forward by
cosponsoring H.R. 3361,' said ARMENPAC Co-Chair Annie Totah.
Congressman Rob Andrews is a member of the Armenian Caucus, and serves on
the Armed Services Committee and the Education and the Workforce
Committee. In addition to H.R. 3361, Congressman Andrews is a cosponsor
of H.Res. 316, an Armenian Genocide resolution reaffirming the United
States record on this crime against humanity. Congressman Andrews is
currently vying, as well as Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Robert
Menendez (D-NJ), among others, for an appointment as Senator Jon Corzine's
(D-NJ) successor in the United States Senate. Senator Corzine is favored
to win the New Jersey Gubernatorial election in November 2005.
ARMENPAC is an independent, bipartisan political action committee
established to shape public policy by raising awareness of, and advocating
for, Armenian-American issues. ARMENPAC provides financial support to
federal officeholders, candidates, political action committees and
organizations that actively support issues of importance to
Armenian-Americans. For more information and how to join ARMENPAC, please
visit www.armenpac.org.