The Chairman of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Rep. Ed Royce will lead a small delegation of members to some of the most unstable regions of Ukraine, as well as to Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Orange County Register reports.
In Armenia, the delegation will participate in the Remembrance Day Event, a national commemoration of the 1.5 million Armenians killed during the genocide by the Ottoman Empire in modern-day Turkey, that began April 24, 1915.
Rep. Ed Royce long has championed the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, believing its denial by Turkey impedes reconciliation between the two neighboring countries.
“This was the first genocide of the past century and must be remembered,” the Congressman said.
“Armenia is a country struggling to build democracy and prosperity in a rough neighborhood,” he added.
