WASHINGTON, DC – Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Raffi Hamparian recently discussed the Armenian American community’s foreign policy priorities with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), who was unanimously selected yesterday by House Republicans to continue serving as Speaker for the coming session of Congress.

Hamparian underscored the ANCA’s eagerness to support the efforts of Speaker Ryan and his newly elected GOP leadership team, as well as House Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, to advance bipartisan issues of concern to Armenian American voters during the upcoming 115th Congress, which will convene in January of 2017.

“I was pleased to have an opportunity to exchange views with the newly selected Speaker of the House, a leader with deep roots in the Racine, Wisconsin area – home to a vibrant Armenian community,” said Hamparian. “The ANCA has a keen interest in working with Speaker Ryan and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to engage the incoming administration on Armenian American issues. These issues include, but are not limited to, our legislative priorities of ending U.S. complicity in Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, security and self-determination for the independent Artsakh Republic, and the growth of U.S.-Armenia economic, political, and military relations.”

Commenting on their meeting, following the November 8th elections, Hamparian added that the ANCA will work with the House leadership and Congressional Republican friends to reach out to the Trump transition team and incoming Administration.

The ANCA endorsed Speaker Ryan in the 2016 election. He is a member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues and has historically been supportive of Armenian American issues in Congress.