Արևելահայերեն
Արևմտահայերեն
РусскийRA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan’s welcome speech on the occasion of the day of the Armenian-populated Gerla city of Romania and St. Gregory the Illuminator Day
Dear RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Romania, Mr. Gasparyan,
Distinguished President of the Union of Armenians of Romania, Mr. Vosganian,
Dear Mr. Mayor, Your Holiness,
Representatives of the Armenian community of Gerla,
Dear guests and compatriots,
On behalf of the RA Ministry of Diaspora, I congratulate you on Gerla Day and this beautiful celebration dedicated to Saint Gregory the Illuminator.
Established by Armenian migrants in the 17th-18th centuries, the city of Armenopolis, which was later named Gerla, has a rich history and has left a big trace in the history of the Armenian Diaspora and Romania with its cultural heritage.
Due to disasters, some Armenians have often left their homes and have settled in different places and have integrated, but they have continued to preserve and disseminate Armenian culture abroad.
In this sense, it should be mentioned that after settling in Gerla, one of the Armenians’ first initiatives was to build Armenian churches, which serve as the most important pillar for the preservation and eternity of the national identity and which conveyed new air to the newly created city. In this context I must mention the Holy Trinity Church built by the Armenians in central Gerla in the 18th century. IN addition to being a beautiful architectural structure, the church is also a wonderful example of Armenian cultural heritage.
Dear Mayor,
Please accept my deep respect and gratitude to you for your wonderful attitude towards the Armenian community. These events are truly evidence of the centuries-old friendship between the Armenians and the Romanians, their faith in the same system of values, as well as the valuable act of preserving the history and culture of both nations and transmitting them to the generations to come.
I express gratitude to our embassy, the Romanian-Armenian Diocese, the leaders of the Union of Armenians of Romania and the representatives of the Armenian community for helping organize these events and to all our compatriots of Gerla who, being the law-abiding citizens of Romania, have lived here for centuries and continue to live and work as proud Armenians, preserving the Armenian spirit, culture and traditions.
Once again, I congratulate you all on this historic day, these wonderful celebrations and wish you success for the reinforcement of the Romanian-Armenian community and the friendship between our two nations.
With warm wishes,
HRANUSH HAKOBYAN
