The ANCA empowers Armenian Americans to advance key strategic objectives—protecting the independent Republics of Armenia and Artsakh, expanding the U.S.-Armenia/U.S.-Artsakh partnerships, securing justice for the Armenian Genocide, advancing constructive foreign aid policies, and countering threats to the security of Armenia, the sovereignty of Artsakh, and the welfare of at-risk Armenian communities worldwide.

The ANCA’s 360-degree advocacy aligns with a single aim: The security, prosperity, and long-term viability of a free, independent, and united Armenian homeland.

U.S. Policy on Artsakh | Peace & Freedom

POLICY

Generate increased U.S. support—in principle, policy, and practice—for the security and prosperity of the independent Artsakh Republic, through initiatives challenging Azerbaijan’s aggression, strengthening U.S.-Artsakh ties, appropriating direct U.S. aid, and supporting the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts to resolve Artsakh-Azerbaijan status and security issues.

PRIORITIES

U.S. House passage of the bipartisan U.S.-Artsakh Travel and Communication Resolution, H.Res.190.

Continued Congressional delegations to Artsakh, and regular Artsakh delegation visits to Washington, DC.

U.S. support for Artsakh’s full and formal return to all OSCE and other peace talks.

U.S. pressure on Azerbaijan to stop obstructing implementation of OSCE-backed Royce-Engel proposals.

U.S. prohibition on the direct or third-party sale/transfer of U.S. military equipment or technology to Azerbaijan.

U.S. opposition to Azerbaijan’s WTO candidacy, eligibility for GSP, and any preferential trade or tax treatment, as long as Baku blockades, boycotts, or attacks Armenia or Artsakh.

U.S. Senate scrutiny of the next U.S. nominee to serve as Ambassador to Azerbaijan.

U.S. state-level recognition of Artsakh, beyond California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, and Rhode Island.

RESULTS

Secured passage of the Chu Amendment (2019) endorsing the Royce-Engel peace proposals, calling for the non-deployment of snipers, heavy arms, and new weapons; deployment of additional OSCE monitors, and placement of gunfire-locators along the line-of-contact.

Secured passage of the Sherman Amendment (2019) placing legislative limits on U.S. defense sales or transfers to Azerbaijan that would strengthen Baku’s ability to act upon its stated intention to shoot down civilian aircraft over Artsakh.

Broke down barriers to U.S.-Artsakh ties by encouraging and facilitating bilateral visits (to Washington, DC and Stepanakert) and building bipartisan support for the U.S.-Artsakh Travel and Communication Resolution, H.Res.190.

Supported the success of Capitol Hill events featuring leaders of the Artsakh Republic.

Spearheaded direct U.S. aid to Artsakh in the Fiscal Year 1998 foreign aid bill. The U.S. is the only country that provides direct aid (over $45,000,000) to help Artsakh with maternal health care, clean water, and de-mining.

Supported passage of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act (1992), requiring that Azerbaijan take “demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Stopped Matt Bryza’s ill-advised nomination (2010) to serve as Ambassador to Azerbaijan due to his pro-Aliyev bias, a principled stand that earned the ANCA attacks by the editorial boards of the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

Challenged the pro-Azerbaijan Madrid Principles, which call upon Artsakh to make reckless, up-front, irrevocable strategic/territorial concessions in return for deferred, vague, and reversible promises from Azerbaijan.

Leveraged political, policy, and legal avenues to block a potential Israeli sale (2017) of the advanced Iron Dome weapons system to Azerbaijan.

Reframed the Artsakh issue away from the reckless “land now” for (possibly) “status later” dynamic, toward a focus on peace (via the Royce-Engel proposals) and dialogue (via the U.S.-Artsakh Travel and Communication Resolution).

Worked to secure state-level recognition of the Artsakh Republic by California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, and Rhode Island.

U.S. Policy on Genocide | Truth & Justice

POLICY

Leverage near-unanimous U.S. House (405-11) and unanimous Senate (100-0) passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (2019) to end Executive Branch complicity in Ankara’s denials, as a pivot toward a policy of sustained U.S. pressure on Turkey to abandon its denials, accept its responsibilities, and engage with Armenia and relevant Armenian stakeholders toward a truthful, just, and comprehensive international resolution of its crimes.

PRIORITIES

Official White House condemnation and appropriate commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

U.S. pressure on Turkey to end its denials, acknowledge the truth, accept its responsibilities, and engage with Armenian stakeholders toward a just resolution of its crimes.

Asserting the right of Americans to seek legal redress for Armenian Genocide-era legal claims, and removing barriers to state and federal level legal actions.

Local, state-level, and Federal initiatives to ensure more school districts include the history and contemporary relevance of the Armenian Genocide in their curricula.

Generate broad-based support for Armenian rights, Turkish responsibilities, and genocide

reparations through the ANCA Raphael Lemkin Policy Series and other programs about the Treaty of Sevres and the Wilson’s Arbitral Award establishing the Turkish-Armenian boundary.

Change of the Library of Congress subject heading from Armenian Massacres to Armenian Genocide.

RESULTS

Secured near-unanimous U.S. House passage of H.Res.296 (405-11) in October of 2019 and unanimous Senate passage of S.Res.150 (100-0), establishing official and ongoing Congressional commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

Worked with Congress, U.S. states (49), media, academia, and entertainment industry to establish the facts of the Armenian Genocide in the American civic arena, isolating the White House as the lone outlier still backing Ankara’s denials.

Countered reckless U.S. government support for the deeply flawed Turkish-Armenian Protocols (2009), generating Congressional, community, and other opposition that derailed these pro-Turkey accords.

Blocked Dick Hoagland’s nomination (2006) as Ambassador to Armenia over his denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Hosted annual Armenian Genocide remembrances on Capitol Hill and in local commemorations across America that featured speeches, published remarks, and Congressional letters by hundreds of U.S. Senators and Representatives.

Secured passage of “Return of Churches” Resolution H.Res.306 (2011), calling on the Turkish Government to return stolen or confiscated Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian religious properties.

Introduced—via legislation and outreach—Armenian Genocide education in California, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Arizona, Texas, Virginia, and Illinois.

Sponsored the screening of two Armenian Genocide films—The Promise and Intent to Destroy— at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (2018) on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Hosted ANCA Raphael Lemkin Policy Series lectures on Capitol Hill, featuring presentations by leading genocide and reparations scholars for Members of Congress and legislative staff.

Partnered with In Defense of Christians, the leading advocate for Middle East Christians, in support of Armenian Genocide recognition.

Co-hosted a historic Christian prayer service in the Capitol Rotunda (2019), during which the Armenian liturgical chant “Der Voghormya” was sung by Armenian clerics.

U.S.-Armenia Ties | Partnership & Progress

POLICY

Upgrade the strategic U.S.-Armenia partnership—expanding trade, increasing aid, further developing mutually-beneficial political, economic, security, military, and peacekeeping cooperation, and elevating the frequency of bilateral visits at the level of head of state/government.

PRIORITIES

High-level, bilateral Executive/Legislative U.S.-Armenia dialogue aligned with key deliverables.

Stronger bilateral defense relations, focused on peace-keeping and capacity-building.

Pro-active engagement to avoid undue, improper, or unintended consequences of regional sanctions on Armenia.

A new U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty, promoting new investments and transparency.

A U.S.-Armenia Social Security Totalization Agreement, to clarify pension obligations and entitlements for workers who divide their careers between the U.S. and Armenia.

Maximum utilization of Strategic Dialogue and TIFA meetings.

Non-stop Los Angeles-Yerevan commercial and cargo flights.

U.S. support for reversing Armenia’s rapid deforestation through technical assistance, material aid, and debt-forgiveness.

RESULTS

Secured House passage of the Speier Amendment (2019) increasing U.S. democracy aid to Armenia by $40,000,000.

Spearheaded the signing of the U.S.-Armenia Trade and Investment Agreement (2015), which created a bilateral platform to resolve problems in the U.S.-Armenia trade and investment relationship.

Generated Congressional, corporate, and community support for a U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty to remove artificial barriers that hinder the growth of U.S. investment in Armenia.

Supported the creation of the U.S.-Armenia Economic Task Force (1999), WTO membership (2003), Permanent Normal Trade Relations Status (2005), and Millennium Challenge compact (2006) for rural roads and irrigation.

Countered foreign interests seeking the improper enforcement of regional sanctions (related to Russia, Iran, and Syria) against Armenia.

Educated decision makers about Armenia’s participation in U.S./NATO-led peacekeeping operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Kosovo, and Mali.

Conducted a market-survey gauging consumer interest in non-stop Los Angeles-Yerevan commercial flights.

Supported the Haiti & Armenia Reforestation Act to reverse deforestation and restore native forests through U.S. aid and debt-forgiveness.

U.S. Foreign Assistance | Aid & Trade

POLICY

Shape U.S. foreign aid policy in support of the ANCA’s regional priorities, by advancing provisions in the annual State-Foreign Operations bill that mandate increased direct U.S. humanitarian investments in Artsakh, substantially expanded development assistance to Armenia, fully funded U.S.-Armenia military cooperation, and common-sense restrictions on U.S. military and security assistance to Azerbaijan.

PRIORITIES

A hard earmark appropriating no less than $10,000,000 for Artsakh in the foreign aid bill, for life-saving de-mining and regional rehabilitation services.

A hard earmark appropriating no less than $90,000,000 in development aid for Armenia in the foreign aid bill.

A prohibition in the foreign aid bill on any funds to Azerbaijan until it has taken demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Artsakh.

Additional U.S. military aid and security assistance to help develop Armenia’s peace-keeping cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense and NATO.

Full transparency, careful Congressional scrutiny, and strict enforcement of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act restrictions related to U.S. military or security aid to Azerbaijan.

RESULTS

Secured passage of the Cox Amendment (2019) and the Valadao Amendment (2017) to the foreign aid bill, appropriating direct U.S. aid to meet humanitarian needs in Artsakh.

Secured House passage of the Speier Amendment (2019) to the FY20 foreign aid bill, increasing U.S. aid to Armenia for democracy programs by $40,000,000.

Advocated successfully—through annual Congressional testimony, Congressional sign-on letters, and nation-wide grassroots advocacy—for over $2.5 billion in U.S. aid to Armenia for humanitarian, economic, democracy, and infrastructure programs.

Spearheaded direct U.S. aid to Artsakh in the Fiscal Year 1998 foreign aid bill, making the U.S. the only country to provide such direct aid (over $45,000,000). This investment in peace has funded maternal health care, clean water, de-mining, and other humanitarian programs.

Partnered with the HALO Trust (2019) to secure the signatures of 89 U.S. Representatives and 22 U.S. Senators on a letter opposing Administration attempts to shut down USAID funding for life-saving de-mining programs in Artsakh.

U.S.-Turkey Ties | Integrity & Accountability

POLICY

Restore balance to the U.S.-Turkey relationship by ending a century of appeasement of Ankara, and holding Turkey accountable for its increasingly anti-American orientation and openly anti-Armenian actions.

PRIORITIES

Full U.S. enforcement of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) against Turkey.

A formal U.S. request for Turkey to extradite the Erdogan bodyguards indicted for their May 2017 felony attack on protesters in Washington, DC.

U.S. pressure on Turkey to stop obstructing justice for the Armenian Genocide, end its occupation of Cyprus, lift its blockade of Armenia, cease its persecution of Christians, return stolen church properties, and end its persecution of Kurds, pro-democracy activists, and dissidents.

U.S. removal of nuclear weapons stationed in Turkey, and passage of H.R.5182, prohibiting any new funding for the future deployment of strategic assets in Turkey.

U.S. opposition to Turkey’s eligibility for preferential trade or tax treatment, as long as Ankara blockades or boycotts Armenia, or denies the Armenian Genocide.

U.S. Senate scrutiny of the next nominee to serve as Ambassador to Turkey.

RESULTS

Secured near-unanimous U.S. House passage of H.Res.296 (405-11) in October of 2019 and unanimous Senate passage of S.Res.150 (100-0), establishing official and ongoing Congressional commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

Broadcast the May 2017 attack by Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail against peaceful U.S. protesters in Washington, DC. The ANCA’s live

viral video was picked up by CNN, AP, the New York Times and other major media, transforming a violent incident into a global spotlight on Ankara’s aggression.

Testified before Congress regarding the May 2017 attack, and worked with Congressional leaders to pass U.S. House legislation forcefully condemning Ankara’s actions and blocking a proposed U.S. arms sale to Turkey.

Worked with Hellenic American allies to block U.S. arms transfers to Turkey (frigates, cluster bombs, etc.), remove Turkey from F-35 production, and enforce CAATSA sanctions over Ankara’s purchase of S-400 missiles.

Supported adoption of the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act (1996), which placed restrictions on U.S. assistance to Turkey due to its obstruction of the transport of humanitarian aid to Armenia.

ANCA Youth | Inspiration & Empowerment

POLICY

Empower the next generation of Armenian Americans by training university students as effective advocates and helping recent graduates start promising policy, political, government, and media careers in Washington, DC.

PRIORITIES

Expand our staffing and lodging capacity to accommodate, support, mentor, and advise a larger number of youth in our programs.

Strengthen the network of Armenian American professionals working as senior stakeholders in U.S. foreign and domestic policy.

Nurture the next generation of Armenian American who will serve in Congress and in key decision-making capacities across the U.S. government.

Expand the ANCA’s Rising Leaders program, in terms of scope, number of participants, and frequency.

RESULTS

The ANCA’s two signature youth initiatives, the Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship Program and the Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program, have empowered hundreds of young Armenian Americans.

The Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship has trained hundreds of community leaders during annual eight-week programs. Former interns hold leadership positions in the ANCA and across the Armenian community.

The Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program has placed hundreds of recent college graduates in full-time positions in the White House, Congress, Federal agencies, World Bank, think tanks, media outlets, and other influential organizations.

With the help of the Aramian Family, the ANCA bought The Aramian House, a landmark eight-bedroom property in downtown Washington that provides rent-free summer housing for interns and year-round free housing for Gateway Fellows.

The Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program has a placement rate of over 90% of fellows finding full-time, career track positions.

Hosted Rising Leaders, the ANCA’s annual three-day career development and civic education program for motivated university-aged Armenian Americans interested in exploring policy, political and media careers in the nation’s capital.

Inaugurated the Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship, a dedicated annual summer intern position.