[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 16, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A WELCOME TO ARMEN MELKONIAN, CONSUL GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. GEORGE P. RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 16, 1998

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome Armen Melkonian, 
Consul General of the Republic of Armenia, to the 19th Congressional 
District of California. The Central Valley holds a large portion of the 
Armenian community in America and is rich in Armenian culture and 
history. Thus Consul General Melkonian's leadership in Armenia has 
provided a great deal of inspiration to the Armenians in the Central 
Valley.
  Armen Melkonian was born in Yeravan, Armenia in 1958. He is married 
to Yevkenya Melkonian and has two children, Ashod and Ani. Armen 
Melkonian graduated from Yerevan State University, Faculty of Near 
Eastern Studies Arabic Division in 1980. Armen received his Ph.D. in 
the Eastern Studies Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of 
the Republic of Armenia.
  From 1982-1984 Armen Melkonian served as an Arabic language 
translator in South Yemen. He served as a Soviet Army Lieutenant from 
1986 to 1988. Following his commitment as a Lieutenant, he lectured in 
the Eastern Studies Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of 
the Republic of Armenia in the division of Arab countries. Armen 
lectured as part of the Eastern Studies of Yerevan State University in 
the beginning of 1991. He served as an aid to the President of the 
Republic of Armenia from 1992-1994. At the beginning of 1994, he was in 
the foreign ministry of the Republic of Armenia. Being the first 
secretary of Arab countries division, led him to becoming the 
ambassador in Cairo, Egypt from 1994-1997. From 1997-1998 he was the 
administrator for the foreign ministry's Middle Eastern countries 
division of the Republic of Armenia. Currently he is the Consul General 
of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles.
  Armen Melkonian is the author of numerous articles in scholarly 
journals and various publications. He has participated in various 
symposiums all over the world. In 1990, his paper ``Armenian Medieval 
Resources about Arab Caliphates'' earned him a degree in Historical 
Sciences.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I welcome Armen Melkonian to 
the 19th Congressional District of California. His leadership has been 
an inspiration to the Armenian community. I ask my colleagues to join 
me in welcoming Armen Melkonian to the United States and to the 19th 
Congressional District of California.

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