Massachusetts Armenians meet with Senator Scott BrownDecember 10, 2011 - 12:21 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Massachusetts met with Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) to discuss issues of concern for the Armenian community and to urge his support for legislation currently under consideration in Congress. According to The Armenian Weekly, Steve Mesrobian and Dikran Kaligian of the ANC of Massachusetts and Republican activist Bob Semonian met with the Senator and asked that he consider introducing a Senate version of H.Res. 306, the Return of Church Properties Resolution, currently pending in the House. The resolution calls on Turkey to end religious discrimination and to return churches, schools, hospitals, and other religious properties that have been confiscated from the Armenian, Greek, Assyrian, and other Christian communities in Turkey. The ANC representatives also updated Brown on the status of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res. 304, and the possibilities of also introducing it in the Senate. Brown was a strong supporter of genocide recognition efforts when he was a member of the Massachusetts State Senate. “We appreciate Senator Brown’s support of genocide recognition and hope that he will take a high profile role in the Senate on Armenian American issues,” said Mesrobian. The ANC thanked Brown for co-signing a letter to President Obama criticizing recent Turkish foreign policy decisions that undermine U.S. interests due to its confrontation with Israel. They also discussed the right of self-determination for the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and including Turkey among the countries covered by a pending bill to establish a “Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom in the Near East and South Central Asia.” Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |