Armenian Assembly of America called Congressmen Christopher Cox and Loretta Sanchez to raise the issue of opening the Turkish-Armenian border during their upcoming visit to Ankara. "The blockade damages both Armenian and Turkish economic interests and thwarts US objectives in the region", - the AAA leadership stated. It should be noted that C. Cox and L. Sanchez are Armenian Congressional Caucus members. According to the latest US State Department report Armenia and Turkey are losing almost $1 billion per year in foregone energy, trade and tourism opportunities.