MASSIS POST: California Assemblymember Mike Gatto Awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal

GLENDALE — The Republic of Armenia has awarded Assemblymember Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) the Mkhitar Gosh Medal in recognition of his contributions to strengthening U.S.-Armenia relations and many years of dedicated service on behalf of the Armenian-American community. The President of Armenia, Serzh Sarkisian, announced the award, which is named in honor of the noted twelfth century Armenian clergyman, writer, and codifier of the Armenian civil and canon laws...

“...Pursuant to paragraph 16, article 55 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, and guided by the Law of the Republic of Armenia on State Awards, I hereby decree: To award Mike Gatto, California State Assemblymember, the Mkhitar Gosh Medal for his contribution in strengthening and developing the Armenia-U.S. friendly relations and many years of dedication to Armenian issues.” said President Sarkisian.

Assemblyman Gatto has been a tireless advocate for Armenian issues such as the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which resulted in the death of more than 1,500,000 ethnic Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. He has authored or co-authored ten different bills recognizing the Armenian Genocide, requesting proper inclusion of the genocide in high school-history curriculum, and calling on the Congress and the President of the United States to do the same. Among them is AB 173 (2011), which allows the families of victims of the Armenian Genocide to file claims in California on insurance policies issued during the genocide, helping Armenian Americans achieve justice for their relatives.

This year, Gatto took bold action on behalf of the ethnically Armenian people of Artsakh, a region in the Southern Caucasus that was illegally severed from Armenia and placed under Soviet-Azerbaijani control in 1921. Seventy years later, the people of Artsakh held democratic elections and formally declared independence as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Assemblyman Mike Gatto authored AJR 32, which made California the most populous entity in the world to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and called upon the United States government to do the same. After successfully passing the State legislature, AJR 32 was transmitted to Congress and President Obama.

“It is a privilege to advocate on behalf of the U.S.-Armenia relationship and to work so closely with leaders in the Armenian-American community. I have always believed that all people have the right to safety and self-determination. These rights must be protected, and the legacy of those killed in the centuries-old oppression of Armenian peoples must not be forgotten.”

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Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the California State Assembly.  He represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.  www.asm.ca.gov/gatto

AZERNEWS: Baku slams U.S. legislator’s proposal to recognize "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic"

By Sara Rajabova - Azer News

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev has slammed California State Legislature member Mike Gatto for his proposal for recognizing the independence of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state.

Gatto submitted the proposal to California State Legislature on January 6.

Abdullayev strongly criticized the Armenian lobby in the United States in this regard.

Commenting on the issue, Abdullayev told local media that the federal government, not the states determine the foreign policy of the United States.

Abdullayev said the job of lawmakers is to defend the laws, human rights, norms and principles of the international law.

He noted that Mike Gatto, who submitted the resolution, does not hide that he works together with the Armenian lobby, he has announced it on his website.

"Human values and human rights should be above all, they should not be sacrificed for personal and political interests. Mike Gatto's country supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. The U.S. is one of the members of the UN Security Council, which condemns the occupation of Azerbaijani territories," Abdullayev said.

He said Gatto turns a blind eye to all these facts and acts following the directives of the Armenian lobby, which shows that he is biased and pursues his own interests.

Gatto's resolution, which recognizes the occupied Nagorno Karabakh as a "sovereign state", refers to the rights of people to self-determination. However, it doesn't indicate the current regime of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" was established through the military occupation of the Azerbaijani territory and ethnic cleansing by the Armenian armed forces.

The Armenian media said Gatto works for closely with the Armenian organizations in the United States on legislative initiatives. He was also one of the authors of the resolution calling for the recognition of the so-called "Armenian genocide"...

You can read this complete article at AzerNews HERE

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Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the California State Assembly.  He represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.  www.asm.ca.gov/gatto 

PRESS RELEASE: Assemblyman Gatto Introduces Resolution to Recognize Nagorno-Karabakh

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        Contact:  Justin Hager (818) 558-3043

January 6, 2014                                                                  Mobile (415) 889-9762

Assemblyman Mike Gatto Introduces Resolution

to Recognize Nagorno-Karabakh

SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) joined with people of Armenian descent around California and the world in calling for the United States to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as a sovereign state.  The resolution, AJR 32, invokes strong language from the United States’ own history regarding the rights of the people to “self-determination and democratic independence.”  If Gatto's resolution passes, it would make California the most populous governmental entity to call for Nagorno-Karabakh recognition, or to recognize it outright.

In 1921, the Soviet Union illegally severed Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, from Armenia, and placed it under the newly created Soviet Azerbaijani administration.  Seventy years later, the people there formed the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.  On 6 January 1992, the democratically elected legislature of the Republic formally declared independence.  Since proclaiming independence, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has registered significant progress in democracy building, including a presidential election last year that was assessed by international observers as free and transparent.

Three organizations that have already expressed support for the legislation are the Armenian Council of America (ACA), the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), and the Unified Young Armenians (UYA). 

Assemblyman Gatto has worked closely with each of these organizations on legislation he has authored in the past, including a resolution calling for U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide and on legislation extending the statute of limitations for victims of the genocide to file insurance claims.  The Assemblyman has also supported events sponsored by each organization, including their stellar efforts to raise money for Armenians in need around the world. "The community is united in support of recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh," stated Gatto.

“It has been my privilege on this resolution to work with the leaders of the local Armenian American community and their outstanding representatives,” said Gatto.  “I am especially honored to introduce this legislation on a day when Armenians around the world are celebrating Christmas with family and loved ones.”

Once passed by both houses of the California Legislature, a copy of AJR 32 will be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and to each member of the California delegation to the United States Congress.

Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the California State Assembly.  He represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.  www.asm.ca.gov/gatto 

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