VISIT OF PRIME MINISTER H.E. NIKOL PASHINYAN TO CALIFORNIA

25 September, 2019

On September 22, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited California. This was Nikol Pashinyan’s inaugural visit to the West Coast of the United States as Prime Minister of Armenia. It had historic importance in several respects. The public meeting of the Prime Minister with the Armenian American Community in front of the City Hall of Los Angeles was a very significant event. The visit was also unprecedented with the signing of a comprehensive framework between Armenia and California that provides a legal framework covering the entire spectrum of relations. Prime Minister's meetings on the highest level were also noteworthy. Prime Minister Pashinyan had meetings with high ranking elected and appointed officials including the Governor of California, the Lieutenant Governor, members of the State Senate and State Assembly, the Mayor of Los Angeles, the LA City Council, and the Los Angeles County Supervisors. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also had a momentous meeting with the leaders of the US West Coast Armenian American community organizations. The meeting was attended by community leaders, representatives of traditional political parties, cultural, charitable, educational, and other community organizations. Prime Minister Pashinyan also had separate meetings with three traditional parties ARF, SDHP, and ADL.
The most memorable event of the Prime Minister’s visit was the public meeting in Grand Park, adjacent to the City Hall of Los Angeles. About 20,000 Californian Armenians gathered here to greet Nikol Pashinyan. Rally-goers welcomed Pashinyan with continued enthusiasm. Due to joint efforts of the Consulate General of Los Angeles, Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, Los Angeles County Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Hilda Solis, and the Special committee established by the Consul General of Armenia, composed of representatives of the California Armenian community organizations, organizational aspects of the public meeting were addressed.
Prior to that momentous event, an official reception was held in the Los Angeles City Hall in honor of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his spouse Anna Hakobyan by LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and LA Councilmember Paul Krekorian.
“We are really honored and delighted today to witness this historic occasion, the visit of Prime Minister of Armenia to California. And we are also very much happy and appreciative for this wonderful opportunity to get together at the LA City Hall. I would state firmly that the visit of Prime Minister Pahinyan elevates level of the relations of Armenia with the Great State of California on a completely different level-much higher, and we can talk in this context today not only about cooperation but also partnership. I would like to express my profound gratitude to Mayor Garcetti, to Councilmember Krekorian, to Supervisor Barger, and everyone in the community and beyond that made the events of the visit possible”, said Ambassador Armen Baibourtian, Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles.
“The United States has been one of the key supporters of Armenia's independence and democracy since Day of Independence”, said the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the U.S. Varuzhan Nersisyan in his speech. “We are grateful for this support, which is not only humanitarian or financial; we believe in the same value system of democracy and human rights. The velvet revolution, led by Nikol Pashinyan, opened a new window for cooperation between Armenia and the United States”.
The first day of Prime Minister Pashinyan’s visit concluded with a festive gala, attended by over 700 Armenian community representatives. A film about Armenia’s Velvet Revolution produced by American producer David McKenzie, was introduced during the gathering. Addressing the participants and summing up the eventful day, Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed his gratitude for the glorious day as he called it.

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