On March 22, the Sydney Armenian Festival 2015 was held near Darling Harbor of Sydney’s Tumbalong Park. The festival, which is dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, was held at the initiative of Homenetmen, Hamazkayin and the Armenian Relief Society and under the sponsorship of the RA Ministry of Diaspora and the Armenian National Committee of Australia.

Among those attending the festival were RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, as well as thousands of local Armenians and foreigners.

Minister Hranush Hakobyan and Transport Minister of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian toured all the booths and talked to compatriots.

Gladys Berejiklian gave her opening remarks, which were followed by a speech by Minister Hranush Hakobyan.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the government of Australia for creating conditions for you to settle in this country, be able to preserve your language, culture and traditions and present them to others. Thank you, Australia,” the minister said, adding: “You have become the best, law-abiding citizens of Australia and have preserved your national identity at the same time. Thanks to your efforts, as well as the efforts of your political parties and the Armenian National Committee, New South Wales recognized the independence of our second Armenian republic. Long live the Artsakh Republic!”

The minister also touched upon the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide and said: “We won the Turks. They weren’t able to eliminate us. The Turks’ state policy failed.”

The festival included performances of songs and dances by the Dance Ensemble of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, Hamazkayin’s Nairi Dance Ensemble, students of Galstaun College, the group Black Bird, Maria Gharemanian and Vartan Mardirosian and ended with performances by guests of honor Zaruhi Babayan and Hamlet Gevorgyan, who had traveled from Armenia and helped lift spirits with their performances.

At the end, the minister had a meeting with members of Hamazkayin Sydney’s Dance Ensemble and discussed issues related to the dance ensemble’s activities.

On March 19, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan left for Australia on a working visit. During the visit, the minister is scheduled to meet with members of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Australia Central Committee, various Australian-Armenian organizations, including political parties, charitable organizations, women’s and youth unions, the heads and representatives of business circles. The minister also paid visits to schools, churches and cultural centers and gave interviews to Armenian language newspapers.

Taking into account the importance of the events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the minister is also scheduled to visit Canberra where she will have several political meetings.