LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has informed the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region that he plans to visit Armenia and Artsakh and will promote new opportunities for economic growth and cultural exchange between Armenia and Los Angeles.

The announcement was made during the Mayor’s meeting with the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region on November 1 at City Hall. The Mayor and the ANCA-WR representatives also discussed other issues of mutual interest and efforts for maintaining a strong relationship with the Armenian community of Los Angeles.

“We greatly appreciate the constructive and close relationship we have with Mayor Garcetti and his office. From his days representing Little Armenia to his tenure as Mayor, he has maintained a deep understanding of the issues which are important to our community, and he consistently takes action to address them. We look forward to continuing to cultivate our open lines of communication and collaboration on matters of mutual concern,” stated ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian.

ANCA-WR Board Members attending the meeting emphasized the importance of keeping strong ties with the LA Mayor, given the size of the Los Angeles Armenian community and the Los Angeles Sister City relationship with Yerevan. The Board Members further discussed the role of the ANCA-WR in serving as an outlet between the community and the initiatives proposed by the Mayor’s office.

For the past several years, Mayor Eric Garcetti has been a steadfast partner of the ANCA-WR since both as City Councilmember and then as Mayor. He first visited Armenia as a Los Angeles City Councilmember in Fall 2005 where he met with Armenian local and national political leadership.

Present at the meeting were members of his staff, including Chief of Staff Ana Guerrero and Federal Affairs Manager George Kivork. ANCA-WR representatives included Chairwoman Nora Hovsepian, Board Members Raffi Kassabian and Souzi Zerounian-Khanzadian, Advisory Board Members Levon Kirakosian and Karo Khanjian, and Government Relations Coordinator Serob Abrahamian.

Headquartered in Los Angeles County, the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.