On July 5th, 2024, members of the Governing Council of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Jirayr Sefilian, Ara Papian, and Garo Yegnukian met with Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC), who—along with Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)—co-led a US Congressional delegation to Armenia during July 2-5, 2024. This is the second meeting of NDA leaders with Congressman Wilson in Yerevan and is part of a continuous outreach with key Congressional leaders in Washington.

Congressman Wilson is the Chair of the joint Senate-Congress Helsinki Commission and serves as a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee where he is the Chair of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia Subcommittee and a member of the Subcommittee on Europe. He is also the most senior member of the House Armed Services Committee where he is on the Subcommittees on Readiness and also Strategic Forces.

During the meeting, which lasted an hour, NDA leaders and Congressman Wilson discussed the domestic political situation in Armenia and the risks of renewed aggression by Azerbaijan. NDA leaders briefed Congressman Wilson of escalating political repressions and police brutality in Armenia, one-sided territorial concessions by the Pashinyan regime to Azerbaijan, and the State Department’s miscalculated efforts to prop up Pashinyan at all costs for Armenia and its security.

NDA leaders urged Congressman Wilson to convey to the Biden administration the will of the people of Armenia to join the Western family of nations and to defend themselves against external threats, which would require an unequivocal support of the administration of its people and not of the ruling regime. The latter remains loyal to Russia’s Putin and continues to undermine Armenia’s democratic credentials and ability of the country to defend itself.

NDA leaders also had a brief interaction with Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), the Chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, who was part of the delegation visiting Armenia.

NDA Council Members thanked Congressman Wilson for his leadership on issues of importance for people of Armenia and Diaspora and the ongoing cooperation. They also thank their lobbyists—The Livingston Group and Moran Global Strategies—for facilitating these exchanges.

July 5, 2024
Governing Council
National Democratic Alliance