On March 28, the delegation led by President Serzh Sargsyan began its working visit to the United States of America. RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan is part of the delegation.

In the State of Massachusetts, the President of the Republic visited the Armenian-populated city of Watertown where the Armenians have established major national institutions over the past two centuries, reports the President’s press service to Hayern Aysor.

Serzh Sargsyan was first hosted at the Armenian Library-Museum of America. Established in 1971, the Armenian Library-Museum of America is one of the major institutions presenting Armenian cultural heritage, showcasing a rich collection of coins, faience items, ceramic items, rugs, religious accessories, stamps, textile products, metal items, maps, print materials and medieval miniature paintings. The President toured the Library-Museum, was introduced to the exhibits and talked to the representatives about the activities of this cultural institution. The President added one of the creations of Zhansem to the collection of the Library-Museum as a gift.

Afterwards, Serzh Sargsyan visited the “Baikar” Center of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar) and the “Hayrenik” Center of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun. He was introduced to the activities and conditions of the two traditional political parties. Boston’s “Hayrenik” Center is the oldest Armenian center on the US East Coast. The Office of the Armenian National Committee of America-Eastern Region, the central headquarters of the Armenian Relief Society, as well as Radio Hayrenik and the editorial offices of Armenian Weekly and Hayrenik Weekly are based at “Hayrenik” Center. The archives of the Dashnaktsutyun are also located at the ARF-D “Hayrenik” Center, containing materials related to the activities that the ARF-D has carried out during the First Republic of Armenia (1918-20) and in the following decades. At the Center, the President of the Republic of Armenia had a meeting with members of the ARF-D. The President welcomed and attached importance to the pro-national efforts of the traditional political parties and wished them success.

On the first day of the visit to the United States, President Serzh Sargsyan also visited the Saint Stepanos Armenian Church and the Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Boston. In 1991, by the proposal of the Armenian community of Watertown, the street on which the Saint Stepanos Armenian Church is located was renamed “Artsakh”, and on August 6, 2012, the House of Representatives of the State of Massachusetts passed a resolution calling on the US President and Congress to support the right of Nagorno-Karabakh to independence and self-determination.

The first day of the working visit of the President ended with a visit to the Holy Trinity Church on March 28. In his note made in the book for honorary guests of the Church, Serzh Sargsyan emphasized the special role that the Armenian Church plays in the preservation of the Armenian identity and considered that historic mission extremely important.