Terjenian-Thomas summer interns of the Armenian Assembly have participated in various roundtable discussions. Last week, Assembly Grassroots Director Taniel Koushakjian led a workshop on issues of key interest to the 2011 internship class, including U.S. assistance to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, recently introduced legislation regarding U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide (H.Res. 304) and protection of Christian churches in Turkey (H.Res. 306), the blockade of Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenian-Turkish relations, human rights and rights of the women, as well as the work of the Assembly to strengthen civil society in Armenia.  The class participated in a roundtable discussion with Nagorno-Karabakh Representative to the United States Robert Avetisyan. The hour and half-long session discussed the history of Nagorno-Karabakh, ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population in Azerbaijan and the subsequent war launched against Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan in 1991. In addition, the roundtable highlighted U.S. assistance to Karabakh for humanitarian needs, as well as the current status of the peace talks, on which the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia met this past weekend in Kazan, Russia.