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Glendale officials, residents visit Yerevan

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YEREVAN, Armenia -- Former Glendale Mayor Eileen Givens, traveling with a small contingent of local residents, represented the city of Glendale during meetings with Armenian officials as part of genocide commemorations being held in that country.

Her meeting with Chief of Staff Davit Harutyunyan, arranged by Glendale resident and former Chamber of Commerce president Marco Brambilla took place in the government building on Republic Square in Yerevan.

The following day, the Glendale delegation traveled to Gyumri where they met with Mayor Samuel Balasanyan. During the meeting, arranged by Artin Manoukian and Berdj Karapetian of the Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region, Givens and Balasanyan discussed a pending sister city relationship.

Balasanyan said he has visited Glendale several times, most recently in January.

“I understand that Glendale has a high percentage of Armenian residents and that many are originally from Gyumri,” he said. “It will be our pleasure to be a sister city with Glendale.”

During a formal, protocol-filled ceremony at city hall, Givens and Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan discussed the relationship between Glendale and Yerevan.

“He was very informed about Glendale,” Givens said. “He stressed the importance of strengthening ties between the two cities.”

Givens presented him with a framed proclamation from the city of Glendale, signed by Mayor Zareh Sinanyan and, in return, he gave her a book regarding the 100th anniversary of the genocide and a dozen long-stemmed pink roses.

After Givens and her husband, Jim, left the mayor’s office, they visited the Genocide Memorial and placed the roses at the rim of the eternal flame.

“People of all ages were there, from school groups to families with infants and grandparents. It was a very emotional, very moving experience,” she said.

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