Los Angeles-Yerevan Sister City Association
3940 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Suite 898
Studio City, CA 91604
Phone: 818.590.3836
Fax: 818.366.3283
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Contact: Souzi Zerounian-Khanzadian
Tel: (818) 590-3836
City Council resolution and rotunda ceremony mark the creation of the Los
Angeles-Yerevan Sister City program
LOS ANGELES, CA -By a resolution of the Los Angeles City Council, the
Los Angeles-Yerevan Sister City Association and program will be
officially inaugurated on Friday, February 23. Following the adoption
of the resolution, a ceremony will be held in the City Hall rotunda in
honor of the occasion. The resolution marks the culmination of an
ongoing effort by the Armenian American community of Los Angeles to
establish the partnership between Armenia’s capital city and the
American city with the largest population of Armenian Americans.
The newly founded LAYSCA’s organizational structure is created within
the official framework of Sister Cities International — a nonprofit
citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships
between the US and International communities. It implements
educational, cultural, social and humanitarian exchange and business
and public service activities as a means of serving as a bridge of
understanding and friendship between the people of Los Angeles and
Yerevan.
"Los Angeles is home to one of the largest and oldest Armenian
communities in the United States,"noted Souzi Zerounian-Khanzadian,
Chairwoman of the Los Angeles-Yerevan Sister City Association. "With
other cities around Los Angeles establishing similar partnerships with
other cities in Armenia, it was only natural to establish the sister
city program with Yerevan." Yerevan is the largest city and capital
of Armenia with a population of about 1 million (2004 estimate). The
history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century BC, with the founding
of the Urartian fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC. The territory of
Yerevan has been settled since the 4th millennium BC, fortified a
number of settlements from the Bronze Age, and Yerevan is one of the
oldest cities in the world. In 1918, Yerevan became the capital of the
newly independent state and remained so following Armenia’s
Sovietization. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Yerevan became
the capital of the independent Republic of Armenia on September 21,
1991. Yerevan is a leading industrial, cultural, and scientific centre
in the Caucasus region. As a center of Armenian culture, Yerevan is
the site of Yerevan State University, the Armenian Academy of
Sciences, the Madenataran manuscript archives, a historical museum, an
opera house, a music conservatory and several technical institutes.
Early community efforts to establish the sister city program between
Los Angeles and Yerevan gained Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa’s. Councilman Eric Garcetti who represents the "Little
Armenia"section of the city, also became a steadfast supporter of the
initiative and championed the endeavor within the Los Angeles City
Council. Since Yerevan already has a sister city relationship with
Cambridge, MA, Councilman Garcetti approached the directors of the
Cambridge — Yerevan Sister City Association to share the affiliation
with Yerevan as is required under Sister Cities International
rules. Cambridge — Yerevan Sister City Association directors agreed
to share the affiliation with Los Angeles.
In August 2005, Councilman Garcetti traveled to Armenia with a
delegation of Los Angeles Armenian American community leaders to meet
with Armenian elected officials to discuss ways to cooperate with one
another in several areas.
He also met with the Mayor of Yerevan and signed an agreement to form
a sister city relationship. Upon his return from Armenia, Councilman
Garcetti facilitated the formation of a volunteer working group
consisting of Armenian American entrepreneurs, professionals and
community leaders to establish the LAYSCA.
"We commend Council President Garcetti for his leadership in creating
this sister city association,"said Zerounian-Khanzadian. "We
anticipate a busy year as we work to build a stronger relationship
between these two great cities."