WASHINGTON — On Sunday, September 23, after the divine liturgy and thanksgiving prayer for the independence of Armenia, the Parish Council of St. Mary Armenian Church and Knights and Daughters of Vartan jointly celebrated the 27th Anniversary of the Independence of Armenia.
Present were Diocesan Legate Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Rev. Hovsep Karapetyan, newly appointed Armenian Consul Arsen Mikayelyan, and embassy secretaries Lucine Shirinyan and Dickran Tumanyan.
The celebration event started with the American and Armenian anthems, the latter played on piano by the a dedicated youngster, Andre Alexanian. After the opening prayer by Karapetyan, talented youngster Hovsep Seferian recited one of his own works about Armenia.
Eric Ashbahian, representing the Parish Council, welcomed the audience and Mikayelyan.
Mikayelyan, the keynote speaker, was presented by Malvina Brown, vice matron of the Daughters of Vartan. Mikayelyan was born in 1982, in Gyumri. He has a master’s degree in political science from Yerevan State University as well as a degree from the Armenian Diplomatic Academy. He completed an Advanced Certificate Program at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Medford, Mass., through a grant from Aso Tavitian Foundation.
His experience includes working at the Public Diplomacy Department and at the Office of the Secretary General of the Armenian Foreign Ministry. From 2012 to 2015, he was posted to the Armenian Embassy in Romania.
