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SCHIFF, BERMAN DISCUSS JAVAKHK WITH SAAKASHVILI
asbarez
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Rep. Adam Schiff
Rep. Howard Berman
WASHINGTON-Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), lead sponsor of the Armenian
Genocide resolution, and Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), ranking member
of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, met with Georgian president,
Mikheil Saakashvili, Thursday to discuss the bilateral relationship
between the United States and Georgia and to ask the president to
focus more attention on the Armenian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti,
which borders the Republic of Armenia.
Economic opportunity, education, and development in Samtskhe-Javakheti
have lagged behind that of predominantly Georgian areas of the country.
During the meeting in the U.S. Capitol, President Saakashvili expressed
a willingness to work with Schiff and Berman to direct more resources
to Samtskhe-Javakheti and said that he would fully support additional
American assistance to the region.
"I was very pleased with the discussion we had with President
Saakashvili," Schiff said. "He was unhesitating in expressing support
when we asked for additional efforts to aid Armenian-Georgians."
"I will continue to fight for the fair treatment and equal rights
for the ethnic Armenian community in Georgia," said Howard Berman,
the Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a
longtime champion of Armenian causes.
President Saakashvili has been in Washington for several days meeting
with a variety of senior American officials, including President Obama,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and congressional leaders.
An ongoing dialogue between the Armenian National Committee
of America and the Georgian government-both in Tbilisi and via
Georgia's Ambassador in Washington-is exploring ways to expand the
Georgian-Armenian partnership to include broader direct Georgian and
Armenian investments and also increased U.S. assistance to promote
job-creation in the Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk)
region of Georgia.
"The Embassy of Georgia, in support of our government's material
commitment to economic development for our citizens in the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region and throughout all of our Republic,
looks forward to working with our friends in the U.S. Congress
and the Administration and with all American civil society
stakeholders - including, of course, with the Armenian American
community - in encouraging the targeting of U.S. assistance to meet
Samtskhe-Javakheti's urgent job-creation, infrastructure, technical,
and humanitarian needs," stated Georgia Ambassador to the U.S. Temuri
Yakobashvili.
"We look forward, in cooperation with Ambassador Yakobashvili and
Georgian government officials, to broadening the longstanding ties
that have existed between the Georgian and Armenian peoples through
greater Georgian government investment in the economic development of
Samtskhe-Javakheti and by collectively supporting a robust U.S. aid
package for Georgia that includes targeted assistance to this heavily
Armenian populated region," stated ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.
ANCA has worked closely with members of Congress, USAID and others
in the administration to explore U.S. assistance opportunities in
Javakhk, including public-private partnerships, which would offer
material incentives for broader international investment in the region.
asbarez
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Rep. Adam Schiff
Rep. Howard Berman
WASHINGTON-Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), lead sponsor of the Armenian
Genocide resolution, and Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), ranking member
of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, met with Georgian president,
Mikheil Saakashvili, Thursday to discuss the bilateral relationship
between the United States and Georgia and to ask the president to
focus more attention on the Armenian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti,
which borders the Republic of Armenia.
Economic opportunity, education, and development in Samtskhe-Javakheti
have lagged behind that of predominantly Georgian areas of the country.
During the meeting in the U.S. Capitol, President Saakashvili expressed
a willingness to work with Schiff and Berman to direct more resources
to Samtskhe-Javakheti and said that he would fully support additional
American assistance to the region.
"I was very pleased with the discussion we had with President
Saakashvili," Schiff said. "He was unhesitating in expressing support
when we asked for additional efforts to aid Armenian-Georgians."
"I will continue to fight for the fair treatment and equal rights
for the ethnic Armenian community in Georgia," said Howard Berman,
the Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a
longtime champion of Armenian causes.
President Saakashvili has been in Washington for several days meeting
with a variety of senior American officials, including President Obama,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and congressional leaders.
An ongoing dialogue between the Armenian National Committee
of America and the Georgian government-both in Tbilisi and via
Georgia's Ambassador in Washington-is exploring ways to expand the
Georgian-Armenian partnership to include broader direct Georgian and
Armenian investments and also increased U.S. assistance to promote
job-creation in the Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk)
region of Georgia.
"The Embassy of Georgia, in support of our government's material
commitment to economic development for our citizens in the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region and throughout all of our Republic,
looks forward to working with our friends in the U.S. Congress
and the Administration and with all American civil society
stakeholders - including, of course, with the Armenian American
community - in encouraging the targeting of U.S. assistance to meet
Samtskhe-Javakheti's urgent job-creation, infrastructure, technical,
and humanitarian needs," stated Georgia Ambassador to the U.S. Temuri
Yakobashvili.
"We look forward, in cooperation with Ambassador Yakobashvili and
Georgian government officials, to broadening the longstanding ties
that have existed between the Georgian and Armenian peoples through
greater Georgian government investment in the economic development of
Samtskhe-Javakheti and by collectively supporting a robust U.S. aid
package for Georgia that includes targeted assistance to this heavily
Armenian populated region," stated ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.
ANCA has worked closely with members of Congress, USAID and others
in the administration to explore U.S. assistance opportunities in
Javakhk, including public-private partnerships, which would offer
material incentives for broader international investment in the region.