Dreier Meets with Speaker of Armenian Parliament

September 9, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC- Congressman David Dreier (R-CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, welcomed Arthur Baghdasaryan, Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, to his Capitol office earlier this week. Dreier and Speaker Baghdasaryan discussed the importance of U.S.-Armenian relations and of promoting democracy in the region.

"Armenia has a proud history and is committed to engagement with its neighbors to promote democracy and regional trade," Dreier said. "Speaker Baghdasaryan and I agreed that democracy is critical to security and stability in the region. I was proud to welcome the Speaker to the Capitol and look forward to working with him on his efforts in the future."

Dreier is an original co-sponsor of H Res 316, an affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution. The resolution calls upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues relating to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to Armenian Genocide. Dreier said this resolution is as important to Armenia’s past as it is to its future. "In order to appreciate Armenia’s accomplishments today, we have to understand how far they have come. The Armenian people are a model in a world where many people once persecuted begin the hard work of democracy."