ALTADENA, Calif. — Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Los Angeles Chapter organized an interesting lecture about the situation of the Republic of Armenia. It took place on Thursday, April 10, at the Association’s Beshgeturian Center in Altadena.
In her opening remarks, long-time member of the TCA Los Angeles Chapter Lilit Keheyan welcomed everyone and then invited composer and singer Jerair Barsamian to perform two songs. The first one was dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the 44-day war in Artsakh and the second one was a well-known warrior’s song by Samuel Yeranyan. She then invited Dr. Simon Simonian, to introduce the lecturer, Dr. Armen Baibourtian.
Dr. Simonian, a former member of the Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Central Board of Directors of North America and Canada and a former chairman of the Armenian General Benevolent Union’s Southern California District – and currently the chairman of Zvartnots Cultural Association of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of North America, gave a brief biographical sketch of Dr. Baibourtian’s diplomatic experience.
Ambassador Dr. Baiboutian was formerly the consul general of the Republic of Armenian in Los Angeles (10/2018-3/2022), the ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to India (4/2000-12/2004) and currently is a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, Amhurst. He has worked at the Foreign Ministry of Armenian in Yerevan twice, as deputy foreign minister. He was also the Republic of Armenia’s permanent deputy representative at the United Nations in New York.
Baibourtian presented Armenia’s challenges amid regional issues in complex neighborhood conditions that has pounded our nation since the 19th century. He also enumerated possible scenarios for solutions, based on Armenia’s experiences of the past and the present. He then concluded his interesting presentation with Ankara’s 7-point preconditions for the normalization of ties with Armenia.
Closing remarks were made by Hovsep Melkonian, the chairman of Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Los Angeles Chapter. He then invited Rev. Njhteh Keshishian, who was representing Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, the Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolical Church of North America.
