Today, Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan presented a congratulatory address in honor of International Women’s Day. Dear women, On behalf of the Artsakh Republic authorities and myself personally I convey my sincere congratulations to you on the International Day of Women. March 8 is traditionally celebrated as the day of women’s rights protection. This day is another occasion for us to acknowledge and evaluate the work you carry out, express our profound gratitude, convey love,

Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr. February 26, 2016 Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the Sumgait pogroms, one of the most horrific attacks against the Armenian people, committed at the hands of Azerbaijanis 28 years ago. On February 27, 1988, hundreds of Armenian civilians living in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan were indiscriminately killed, raped, maimed, and even burned alive for no reason other than their ethnicity. This senseless violence was instigated by hostile, anti

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) entered the following statement into the Congressional Record: “Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the pogrom against the Armenian residents of the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. On this day in 1988, and for three days following, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians. When the violence finally subsided, hundreds of Armenian civilians had been brutally murdered and injured, women and young girls

(RFE/RL) – Armenia plans to abandon its “static defense” strategy and switch to a more active deterrence in its standoff with Azerbaijani troops in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, an Armenian official said. Speaking at a seminar organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation In Europe (OSCE) in Vienna on February 18, Armenian Deputy Defense Minister David Tonoian said that in order “to alleviate” the confrontation, Yerevan is “gradually” turning to the “deterr

(L-R): Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, Jr. testifies as Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart looks on during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about worldwide threats on February 9, 2016 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) By Danielle Saroyan Armenian Agenda Associate Editor On February 9, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, Jr. said the Nagorno Karabakh conflict risks escalation in 2016. “Baku’s

Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on February 13, 2016. By Danielle Saroyan Armenian Agenda Associate Editor On February 13, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian attended the Munich Security Conference where he met with Conference Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, and Federal Government of Germany Special Representative for the OSCE Chairmanship Gernot Erler. Nalbandian applauded the Mun

On February 13, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland in Munich. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the high-level of bilateral relations, especially steps taken in recent years towards the consolidation of a friendly partnership between Armenia and the United States. Edward Nalbandian and Nuland exchanged views on ways to further develop cooperation in various fields. The Foreign Minister of Armenia and the US Assis

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  This week, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) submitted written testimony to the Helsinki Commission’s hearing entitled: “Update on the OSCE: Religious Freedom, Anti-Semitism, and Rule of Law,” citing Azerbaijan’s escalating and deadly cease-fire violations and urging additional action. “As the Commission is aware, the Assembly remains deeply concerned about the authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan, its jailing of journalists and abandonment of demo

Standard and Poor’s Downgrades Azerbaijan Bonds to Junk WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter sent this week to Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) urged the U.S. to oppose any proposed bailout for Azerbaijan’s corrupt and authoritarian regime, especially with U.S. taxpayer dollars. According to recent media reports, the U.S.-backed International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are contemplating a $4 billion b

By Siranush Ghazanchyan (ArmRadio) – With a vote of 66 to 70 and 45 abstentions, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe rejected the report on “Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan.” The Assembly is currently debating amendments to a second report on the #Sarsang Reservoir and “deliberate deprivation of water” before a final vote. Click here for the details on the vote to reject the resolution on “Escalation

(MFA) – On January 19, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations Ambassador Zohrab Mnatsakanyan delivered a statement during the Security Council Open Debate on “Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.” In his statement, Ambassador Mnatsakanyan stressed that Armenia shares the concern of the Secretary General about the disturbing challenges for the protection of civilians in conflict-affected areas, which remain persistent as ever. While the

(MFA) – On January 14, Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia received Charles Kupchan, Special Assistant to the U.S. President and National Security Council Senior Director for Europe. Welcoming the guest, Minister Nalbandian mentioned that Armenia attaches great importance to the development of relations with the United States. He commended the Armenian-American friendly partnership, including joint steps undertaken to further their development. In response, Kupchan

(CivilNet) – On the night of January 9, around 9:30 p.m., an Azerbaijani sniper fatally wounded Aramayis Voskanyan. Born in 1996, Voskanyan was from the city of Kavar in the Gegharkounik region and a student at the Yerevan State Agrarian University. He would have turned 20 on January 26th. Even though the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) Defense Ministry reported that the situation on the Contact Line was relatively calm over the holidays, Armenia’s Defense Ministry spokespers

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly (HCA) Vanadzor Office published a report on death cases in Republic of Armenia (RA) Armed Forces and Nagorno Karabakh (NK) Defense Army from January to September, 2015. According to the findings of the studies by the HCA Vanadzor Office, between January-September 2015 the RA Armed Forces and the NK Defense Army registered 39 incidents which caused the death of 54 military servicemen. From the previous year during January-September 2014, the rate of

Armenian Assembly of America Communications Director Taniel Koushakjian asks House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) about the recent briefing on Capitol Hill regarding Nagorno Karabakh and the steps the U.S. must take to assist America’s ally Armenia. #Karabakh #Royce #HouseForeignAffairs #Azerbaijan #ArmenianAssemblyofAmerica #HouseForeignAffairsCommitteeChairmanRepEdRoyce #Artsakh #NagornoKarabakh #TanielKoushakjian #Armenia #CapitolHill

Press Release For Immediate Release January 6, 2016 Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), hosted a briefing from Ambassador James Warlick, U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, on the recent escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and steps the U.S. is considering to promote peace in the region. Following the briefing, Chairman Royce said: “Violence in the

There have been inaccurate reports in the media, suggesting that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 budget agreement has removed direct US assistance to Nagorno Karabakh (NK). That is false. The Armenian Assembly of America is pleased to report that US aid to NK will continue as it has every year. The Assembly thanks Congress for ensuring this and other critical assistance to America’s allies in the region, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenian Assembly of America Executive Director

(L-R): Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Serzh Sarkisian of Armenia meet in Vienna, November 19, 2013. (RFE/RL) – The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet in Switzerland’s capital Bern on Saturday for talks which international mediators hope will ease tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, official Yerevan said on Thursday. President Serzh Sarkisian’s office announced the date and venue of his meeting with Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev in a short statem

(MFA) – On December 10, the session in the format of NATO Partnerships and Cooperative Security Committee + Armenia was held at NATO Headquarters. The session was chaired by James Appathurai, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia. The Armenian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Ashot Hovakimyan and First Deputy Defense Minister David Tonoyan. During the session the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan (I

By Danielle Saroyan Armenian Agenda Associate Editor U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) called on the U.S., Russian, and French mediators to press Azerbaijan to accept major safeguards against intensifying ceasefire violations in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) conflict zone while speaking at the 24th anniversary of NKR independence celebration on Capitol Hill this week. Rep. Ed Royce also said on Wednesday that the U.S. administration must not