The Armenian Assembly of America welcomes the historic visit of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Armenia, a statement issued by the Assembly reads.

The Speaker's visit comes at a time when the Azerbaijani military attacked Armenia this week, shelling civilian-populated centers along Armenia's eastern and southeastern borders in clear violation of the terms of the November 9, 2020 trilateral cease-fire statement, the Assembly notes.

Speaker Pelosi's visit to Armenia sends a message to the entire region about the real meaning of American values, said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

Speaker Pelosi's presence in Armenia, the highest-ranking American official to visit Armenia since independence, conveys the symbolic power and critical importance of democracy preservation, she said.

The Assembly appreciates Speaker Pelosi's leadership over the decades since the Republic of Armenia's independence. Speaker Pelosi has a strong record of support for the Armenian people. As a defender of human rights, Speaker Pelosi has strongly supported U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide and spoke on the House floor in support of House Resolution 296, which was overwhelmingly passed in the House in 2019 and reaffirmed the U.S. position on the Armenian Genocide, the statement reads.