Congressman Adam Schiff has sent a message of Armenian President Robert Kocharian, extending condolences on the crash of A-320 liner in the Black Sea. His letter says, "On behalf of the people of the 29th District of California and, especially the many thousands of Armenian-Americans in my district, I write to express my deepest condolences on the tragic loss of life aboard the Armavia Airlines Flight 967 that crashed in the Black Sea on Wednesday.

I mourn the loss of the 113 passengers and crew aboard the plane and I extend my sympathies to the families of the victims and to the people of Armenia. I have seen television news reports on the tragedy and I have been especially moved by the anguish of the victims' relatives.

I have been in contact with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is the transportation investigative arm of the U.S. government and is widely recognized as the preeminent agency in the world at investigating the cause of aircraft accidents. The NTSB has informed me that they stand ready to assist Armenian and Russian authorities in investigating the disaster and that either your government or the Russian government can request assistance through the United States Embassy in Yerevan or Moscow.

If you would like NTSB assistance, or if there is any other way in which I can help at this difficult time, please do not hesitate to contact me."