During his first official visit as president of Armenia, Dr. Armen Sarkissian and First Lady Nouneh Sarkissian met with the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) on June 28, and held a roundtable discussion with the Assembly’s Board of Trustees. During the meeting, the Assembly’s Board and the President exchanged views on recent developments in Armenia, and discussed a range of issues.
“As part of his official visit to the United States timed for the opening of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival featuring Armenia, it was a welcomed opportunity to sit down with the President of Armenia and First Lady to exchange views, including the ongoing democratic developments in our homeland. We are committed to continuing our work to strengthen U.S.-Armenia relations and look forward to welcoming additional delegations to our nation’s capital to elevate Armenia’s revitalized democratic profile,” Assembly Co-Chair Anthony Barsamian stated.
Earlier in June, the Assembly leadership met with newly-elected Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, as well as President Armen Sarkissian, Speaker of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsman Ruben Melikyan, and other officials.
President Sarkissian was in Washington, D.C. for the opening reception and ceremony for the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, being held on the National Mall, which features Armenia and its culture. While in Washington, the President held additional working meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the leadership of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.
In addition, Assembly Board Member Annie Totah organized a special tour of the Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens for First Lady Nouneh Sarkissian and Mrs. Victoria Hovhannissian, wife of Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. Grigor Hovhannissian.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.