PRESS RELEASE

May 13, 2005

Kansas National Guard General Meets Armenian Ambassador, Presents Governor’s Proclamation

On May 10, 2005, Maj Gen (KS) Tod M. Bunting, the Adjutant General of Kansas, and a delegation of senior military officials from the Kansas National Guard visited the Embassy of Armenia to discuss the military cooperation and the upcoming visit of State of Kansas senior officials and Kansas National Guard to Armenia. In his capacity as Adjutant General of Kansas, General Bunting heads the Kansas National Guard and serves as Director of Homeland Security.

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and the State of Kansas National Guard have established a State Partnership Program, as part of the overall durable and constructive relationship between the Armed Forces of the United States of America and the Republic of Armenia. The State Partnership Program between Armenian Army and Kansas National Guard will now be complemented by active cooperation on the civilian side as well. President of the Kansas State Senate, members of the Kansas legislature and state executives will visit Armenia at the end of May to discuss economic and commercial cooperation between Kansas and Armenia.

During his meeting with Ambassador of Armenia to the U.S. Tatoul Markarian, General Bunting formally presented the Proclamation of the Governor of Kansas, which declared April 24, 2005 the Armenian Remembrance Day in commemoration of the 90 th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In April, the State of Kansas became the 38 th American state to have given proper recognition to the Armenian Genocide.

Ambassador Markarian noted the strategic importance of the cooperation between the Kansas National Guard and Armenian Armed Forces, and hailed the beginning of a more comperehensive relationship between Kansas and Armenia. The Armenian Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the Governor’s Proclamation on the Armenian Genocide.