Artsakh rep. to join ARF Annual Banquet in Montebello

PanARMENIAN.Net - Robert Avetisyan, the Permanent Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic to the United States, will be joining the Montebello ARF Dro Gomideh (committee) at their Annual Banquet on Saturday, March 22. A representative from the Consulate General of the Republic of Armenia will also be in attendance, Asbarez reported.

Chairman of the ARF Dro Gomideh, Unger Levon Kirakosian, stated that “we are very excited to welcome Mr. Avetisyan to our community. We hope that we can work together to be instrumental in the development of Nagorno Karabakh as an open and democratic society. The ARF Dro Gomideh would like to invite our community members to join us in celebrating the Montebello Armenian community and taking part in our upcoming initiative.”

Representative Robert Avetisyan, a native of Stepanakert, began working in the Nagorno Karabakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1999, serving in various analytical and political departments. In 2008, he was appointed as a Counselor to the Permanent Representation of Nagorno Kharabakh in the United States. President Bako Sahakyan appointed Avetisyan as the Permanent Representative in 2009. The Representative has completed a special course at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Artsakh has maintained an officially registered representative office in Washington, D.C. since 1997. The office operates as a de facto Embassy and Robert Avetisyan is its Chief Executive Officer. The representation has a firm commitment to advancing the development of Nagorno Kharabakh as a stable democracy and finding a just and peaceful resolution for the conflict with Azerbaijan.

Since 2005, the city of Montebello has established a sister city association with Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Kharabakh. The city and its institutions have been committed to creating and strengthening a partnership between the communities. In recognizing their role as a sister city to Stepanakert, the Montebello Fire Department donated a fire truck, valued at $150,000, that is to be sent to Nagorno Kharabakh. This generous donation is testament to the commitment that the city of Montebello has invested into this municipal partnership and its efforts to encourage community development in Stepanakert.

Due to the size and nature of the gift, the transport of the fire truck to Stepanakert requires greater resources. The truck will need to be shipped to Poti, Georgia on a cargo ship, from where it will be driven to Stepanakert by their fire department. Thus, the Dro Gomideh is pleased to allocate the proceeds from this year’s Banquet to the transport of this fire truck for the use of the community in Stepanakert.