[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 27284]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 REGARDING THE ASSASSINATION OF THE ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER AND OTHER 
                GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN YEREVAN, ARMENIA

  (Mr. ROGAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROGAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise with great heaviness in my heart. I 
ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Armenian Prime 
Minister Vazgen Sargissian, Armenian Speaker Karen Demirchian, and the 
six other Armenian government officials gunned down yesterday in cold 
blood in the Capital City of Yerevan.
  I first met the late prime minister last month when I visited 
Yerevan. We had a candid and penetrating conversation. He was so 
cordial that he later asked me to cancel my evening schedule to join 
him for dinner.
  Just three weeks ago we met again here in Washington and he extended 
the same invitation for his next visit. I deeply regret that will never 
occur.
  Armenia is the oldest Christian nation in the world. Her commitment 
to freedom and democracy is in no small part due to the efforts of the 
late prime minister and his fallen colleagues.
  This morning the turmoil in Armenia has ended. Armenians will again 
go on today living in freedom, and dedicated to building a stronger
nation for their children. The terrorists are in the hands of law
enforcement and the rule of law will prevail.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering the 
service of these eight Armenian patriots and their families on this 
very sad day.

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