The Armenian National Committee of America stands for open and inclusive community representation, the ANCA said in a statement.

The statement goes on:
“It is in this spirit that the ANCA has consistently worked to foster direct Armenian American dialogue with America's leaders, not simply for ourselves or for those who share our perspectives, but for all the leading organizations that, together, represent the rich fabric of our community.

Such an approach reflects both our deep respect for our community's diversity and our equally profound belief in our community's unity of purpose on the central challenges facing the Armenian nation. Unfortunately, recent developments - related to a proposed community meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - have shown, that some others who strive to speak in our community's name do not share this faith in our community's basic decency, devotion, and common sense.

The controversy surrounding this meeting, while unnecessary and counterproductive, has, at the very least, served some useful purpose in providing our community with new insights into the significant distinctions between the ANCA and the Armenian Assembly - distinctions that reflect fundamentally different approaches to advocacy.

The ANCA operates as an inclusive organization, reaching deep into our community, building consensus around shared values, and bringing people together across all of our geographic, demographic, religious, and civic affiliations. The Assembly, by way of contrast, operates in an exclusive manner, representing a small and increasingly isolated circle, largely gathered around a single major benefactor.

These differences matter. They impact how our two groups work and the results that we achieve on issues ranging from our core advocacy agenda to the waiver of Section 907, the Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission, the Hoagland nomination and the Turkey-Armenia Protocols. Nowhere are these differences more evident today than in how the ANCA and Assembly, with the support of leaders of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, have handled the proposed meeting with Secretary Clinton.

While the Armenian Assembly has, throughout this process, coveted its access to the powerful by seeking to control and limit participation in this meeting, the ANCA has eagerly offered to share its place at the table with all our community partners.

We understand, as a grassroots group, that our community grows stronger by opening doors to dialogue, not by closing them. We add to our power, respect and influence, not by who we exclude, but by broadening the scope and depth of civic engagement by all aspects of our community.”