Artsakh`s 25th Anniversary Marked with Capitol Hill Celebration

ArmInfo. According   to the information shared to ArmInfo by Armenia national Committee of America (ANCA), Artsakh's Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan joined with members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, Armenian American  community leaders, and the Armenian and Artsakh representations in  Washington, DC at tonight's Capitol Hill celebration of the Nagorno  Karabakh Republic's 25th anniversary, reported the Armenian National  Committee of America (ANCA).

The event, hosted by the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues,  featured opening remarks by ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian,  speeches by U.S. legislators - including Caucus Co-Chairs Frank  Pallone (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA), Caucus Vice-Chair Adam  Schiff (D-CA) and Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA)  and Brad Sherman (D-CA) - as well as an insightful presentation by  Armenia's Ambassador Grigor Hovhannissian, a compelling analysis by  former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, and a powerful keynote  address by Prime Minister Harutyunyan, which was live- streamed on  the ANCA Facebook page.

"It is symbolic for us to organize this event on the occasion of  Artsakh's independence in the United States Congress as both our  nations and states share the same values," said Prime Minister  Harutyunyan, who went on to outline key factors of Artsakh's economic  and democratic progress over the past quarter century.  He commended  the leadership of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce  (R-CA), Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) and senior member Brad  Sherman (D-CA) for their efforts to support the cease-fire and  implement investigative mechanisms.  The Prime Minister thanked  legislators for appropriating aid for Nagorno Karabakh, underscoring  the life-saving nature of The Halo Trust's ongoing demining efforts  and the importance of allocating assistance for the expansion of the  Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center in Artsakh's capital, Stepanakert."  The Podesta Group, a paid foreign agent of the Azerbaijani government  of Ilham Aliyev, circulated letters condemning the event to  Congressional offices, and a small group of protesters gathered  outside the Capitol Hill offices to register their opposition to this  annual American commemoration of Artsakh's independence.