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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, April 14, 2008
AGBU Europe’s Astrid Alexanian-Papazian Honored by Austrian Government
On the evening of January 21, 2008, Thomas Nader, Austrian Ambassador to
Egypt, organized a dinner-reception in his Cairo home, which served as
the occasion to bestow upon Austria’s Consul General Astrid
Alexanian-Papazian the "Gold Medal of Honor for Devotion and Services to
the Republic of Austria." Present were high-ranking guests, members of
Alexanian-Papazian’s family and a host of close friends.
Ambassador Nader stated that the Alexanian family has represented
Austria in a fitting manner and emphasized that all the ambassadors and
their colleagues that have worked in Cairo have been greatly impressed
with Astrid Alexanian-Papazian and the work she has done. He concluded
his remarks, saying that having Alexanian-Papazian as Austria’s
representative is an honor and that she is justly deserving of this
medal. On behalf of Austria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassadors,
ministers and provincial officials, the ambassador extended the warmest
congratulations and wishes.
In response to the ambassador’s remarks, the lady of honor thanked
everyone for their warm words of appreciation and kind statements.
Alexanian was nominated Honorary Consul of Austria in Alexandria in 1987
and Honorary Consul General in 2004, in charge of Austrian Commercial
and Cultural Affairs. She is currently President of A. Alexanian Group
of Companies in the tobacco industry and is a member of the board and
shareholder of the Egyptian Textile Industries SAE. She has been a
member of AGBU for the past 49 years, is president of the Armenian
Cultural Center Dikran Yergat since 2004 and has been involved in
various Armenian community services. Recently, she was named to the
Board of Directors of AGBU Europe.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with an
annual budget of $34 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian
identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians on six continents.