WASHINGTON, DC – A small group of Armenian Americans from throughout the United States were invited to participate in a meeting today at the White House on foreign policy issues of concern to Armenian Americans, reported the Armenian National Committee of Armenia (ANCA).

Representing the Administration at the meeting were Senior White House Advisor Karl Rove, Special Assistant to the Presiden, Senior National Security Council Director Dan Fried, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Lynn Pascoe.

“We very much appreciated this opportunity to address – in a frank and open exchange – a broad range of issues of pressing concern to our community,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “Among the issues on the table were the Armenian Genocide, Section 907, the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, and proposed reductions in U.S. aid levels to Armenia. While we remain deeply concerned about the Administration’s policy in many of these areas, we welcomed this opportunity for dialogue and look forward to working to ensure that our voice is fully heard in the White House and in the foreign policy community.”

Armenian Americans participating in the meeting were: Bryan Ardouny, Garo Armenian, Yervant Azadian, Albert Boyajian, Edgar Hagopian, Aram Hamparian, John Jamian, Van Krikorian, Harut Sassounian, Vasken Setrakian, and Barry Zorthian.

Also present were Matt Bryza, National Security Council Director for the Aegean, Caucasus, and Central Asia, and J.D. Estes, Deputy Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison.

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