{"id":14546,"date":"2018-02-27T06:38:58","date_gmt":"2018-02-27T06:38:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ancnews.info\/?p=14546"},"modified":"2018-02-27T06:38:58","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T06:38:58","slug":"dc-community-marks-30-years-of-artsakh-resistance-and-resilience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ancnews.info\/?p=14546","title":{"rendered":"DC Community Marks 30 Years of Artsakh Resistance and Resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON\u2014The Greater Washington Armenian American community \u2013 led by the Armenian National Committee of Greater Washington and the Armenian Youth Federation Washington Ani chapter \u2013 rallied Subday in Soorp Khatch Church and on the streets of our nation\u2019s capital to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Artsakh\u2019s struggle for liberation and condemn the massacre of Armenians in Baku and Sumgait.
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Speaking to a packed audience at the Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church Arabian Hall in Maryland, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Artsakh to the U.S., Robert Avetisyan, spoke powerfully about the resilience and dedication of the people of Artsakh in their efforts to build a stable, democratic country over the course of the last 30 years.
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DC Armenian Community advocates demanded justice for the Sumgait and Baku massacres at a protest organized by the ANC Greater Washington and the AYF Washington Ani Chapter.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen there is peace, we will flourish,\u201d said Avetisyan. \u201cThe Armenian homeland will flourish and it will open up a new era in our development as a nation and new era of presence of Armenians in the region.\u201d He went on to thank the audience for three decades of steadfast support. \u201c30 years like this, I\u2019m sure the next 30 years will be much better for the Armenian homeland. Let\u2019s ask the question of what we can do for our homeland at least once a week, if not more frequently and we will do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

ANC Greater Washington Chairman Sipan Ohannesian noted President Aliyev\u2019s latest statements claiming Yerevan as Azerbaijani territory and noted \u201cWe juxtapose Azerbaijani aggression with Artsakh\u2019s commitment to peace and democracy. We meet Aliyev\u2019s rhetoric with action.\u201d<\/p>\n

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ANC Greater Washington Chairman Sipan Ohannesian and Robert Avetisyan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Artsakh to the U.S., discuss 30 years of Artsakh resistance and resilience.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Avetisyan and Ohannesian cited the importance of ongoing U.S. assistance to the Republic of Artsakh, with over $40 million sent since 1997. He noted the critical role of the Royce-Engel proposals \u2013 spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY) \u2013 a concrete plan to reduce aggression in the region, calling for the 1) removal of snipers 2) increase of Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitors at the line of contact and 3) the deployment of a gunfire locator system to clearly identify aggressors.
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