ARS Initiates New Chapter in Belgium

On Oct. 15, during a special two-day visit to Brussels, Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Central Executive Board Chairperson Vicky Marachelian and Advisor Liza Avakian attended a meeting with local representatives of the ARS, Armenian National Committee (ANC), Homenetmen, Hamazkayin, and Armenian youth organizations, as well as author Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte and Ashot Ghulyan, speaker of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic (NKR) National Assembly.

Representatives of the ARS Central Executive Board with members of the newly formed ARS/Belgium chapter.

In light of the keen interest shown by the Belgian-Armenian community in the humanitarian activities of the ARS worldwide, a decision was reached and implemented on Oct. 16 on the premises of the Brussels “Armenian Home” to found a local ARS entity: the ARS/Belgium At-large Chapter.

(L-R) Mesrob Shaboyan, diplomat, Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, Brussels; Vicky Marashlian, chair, ARS, Inc.; Artak Zakaryan, MP, Republic of Armenia National Assembly, chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, and head of the Armenian delegation to Euronest; and Tatoul Markaryan, ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Kingdom of Belgium and head of the Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union.

Marachelian and Avakian warmly welcomed the 26 initiates and gave a concise presentation of the ARS’s history, structure, mission, and ongoing programs. Following the presentation, the members immediately convened and elected their seven-member executive, and discussed the initial organizational steps to be taken.

“We can, with great pride, state that the ARS, as an independent, all-Armenian humanitarian organization, extends its far-reaching support whenever and wherever our people’s physical, social, and cultural needs require aid and assistance,” said Marachelian. “Today, the worldwide ARS family demonstrates once more that our Society, after over a century of service, retains its vigor and youthful optimism, as it did in the past, never losing sight of a vision of an always-brighter future, maintained by a rejuvenating approach of adapting to ever-changing conditions and putting to use all available possibilities and opportunities of the 21^st century.”

The ARS Central Executive Board representatives also participated in events by the European Parliament promoting the Artsakh Republic, and met with Speaker Ashot Ghulyan, European Union (EU) Parliamentarians Elenie Theokharous and Frank Engel, and members of the EU-Armenia Friendship Group.