CHICAGO – On Thursday evening, March 22, Chicago-area Armenians, members of the city’s consular corps, and countless associates celebrated the establishment of the city’s first Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Armenia, serving the states of Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Following the earlier consecration of the consular office at 120 West Kinzie Street, nearly 500 guests gathered at the Union League Club of Chicago for the official proclamation of Oscar S. Tatosian as the Republic of Armenia’s Honorary Consul in Chicago.
The evening’s program included the invocation and remarks by Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church in America (Eastern), remarks by Grigor Hovhannissian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States, and a formal welcome by Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago.
Also attending were Berj Apkarian and Adroushan Armenian, respectively Honorary Consuls from the other two US Armenian consular offices in Fresno, CA and Las Vegas, NV.
Halle M. Butvin, Director of Special Projects for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, inspired those assembled with details on the upcoming Armenian Folklife Festival, which run for 10 days this summer on the National Mall.
The Honorary Consulate will focus on matters of interest to the Republic of Armenia, primarily in trade in the areas of technology, agriculture/wine, and tourism, and other areas such as education.
