Zareh Sinanyan looks exhausted. "Sorry, I just got out of a day-long meeting marathon at the Prime Minister’s office," he explains as he drops himself into a chair across from mine. I was Sinanyan’s last appointment on his first official day as High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs.
Earlier t
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Can they please teach the civil service workers to be a bit more sensitive about theWestern Armenian language,
When I have a birth certificate where my name is spelled Գէոֆգ Գալայճեն they don’t need to translate my name as Կէվորկ Կալաջյան simply because my American passport spells my name as Kevork Kalayjian.
Since 2015 I am trying to correct my name and spent over $2,000 in legal fees in Armenia, and I don’t have a court date yet!
And then they say come to Armenia!???
Lol 2000$ for their mistake that’s crazy… but what is the translation for and why do you need it so badly? Why not just show them your birth ceritficate? Is it really misspelled as Գէոֆգ Գալայճեն or is it just a typo on your part?
Glendale is a microcosm of diaspora. He probably hasn’t been in many traditional diaspora communities but as mayor of Glendale he has undoubtedly worked with Armenians from all over the world. Probably the best candidate for this position. Someone who knows Both Armenia and diaspora.
What’s the difference?
And the first decision of Glendale mayor was to appoint Sara Anjargolian, hysterically anti Russian, who became famous for proudly posing near a “f*ck Putin” banner, as chief of staff.
Excellent message sent to the diaspora in Russia, first investor (and by far) in the Armenian economy.
zareh is bad news for Armenia!
So disappointed with this appointment. What is his accomplishment as a Mayor? he left the city the worse that he found it.
“transformation into a tech and service-based economy” really? I can tell the reporter does not live in Glendale.
His election was full of controversy and if it was not for ANCA push, he would not have been elected.
There has been an established and respected principle that no person with an emphasized partisan leaning be appointed to an Armenian governmental position which deals directly with the Diaspora. This principle has existed so as to respect the peculiarities and sensitivities within the Diaspora’s various communities and to prevent any hindrance towards the strengthening of ties with the Homeland.
This fundamental principle has unfortunately failed to be taken into account by the appointment of Zareh Sinanyan as the Chief Commissioner for the Diaspora Affairs. Sinanyan has been politically active, within the Armenian community of Los Angeles, exclusively through structures affiliated with Dashnaktsutyun and throughout the years, has made public statements which were highly irresponsible, slanderous and hypocritical, to say the least.
Participating in the local electoral processes, he has shown a very aggressive attitude towards his political opponents, especially to our organization, making false accusations, for the mere reason that we did not support his preferred candidate.
During his tenure at the Glendale City Hall, Mr. Sinanyan was incapable of showing broad-mindedness and tolerance, and used his office as a tool to discriminate and create divisions in the Diasporan community.
Zareh Sinanyan is free to have his own political views, but his divisive actions in the past cannot be neglected nor forgotten, and this certainly will have a negative impact on his current position.
Zareh Sinanyan does not meet the necessary requirement of being at equal distance with all the Diaspora structures. Therefore, we have strong reservations on his appointment.
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party:
Western United States, Executive Committee
June 18, 2019
Los Angeles, CA
United States
“There has been an established and respected principle that no person with an emphasized partisan leaning be appointed to an Armenian governmental position which deals directly with the Diaspora. ” —-> Hmmm, so how can we explain the decade-long appointment of hardcore Bolshevik and Serzh Sargsyan loyalist Hranush Hakobyan as Diaspora Minister?
The policy of present Armenian defense army statues must be changed, accept the power of diasporan Armenian volunteer soldiers, who are willing to serve in Armenian armed forces without the help of “mother Russia”! Armenia will become an independent powerhouse of South Caucasus!
Diaspora Armenians already can (and do) volunteer for the Armenian military, so I’m not sure what needs to be changed.