Former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, a highly respected Foreign Service officer and international affairs expert, will deliver a speech on “The Question of Justice” at a commemorative event on April 21 in Chicago, The Armenian Weekly reports.

Evans served as the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia from September 2004 to September 2006. In February 2005, while back in the U.S. visiting Armenian American communities, he made the following statement: “I will call it the Armenian Genocide. I think we, the U.S. government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank and honest way of discussing this problem.”

As a result of his integrity and courage to speak out on the Armenian Genocide, Evans was recalled from his position as the Ambassador to Armenia in May 2006 and subsequently “retired” from the U.S. Foreign Service after a distinguished career of over 30 years.