KeghartAfter years of failed attempts by the 100,000-strong Canadian-Armenian community to facilitate the establishment of Canadian diplomatic representation in Armenia, a small group of Canadian-
Armenians has launched a petition to persuade Ottawa to open an embassy in Yerevan manned by a chargé d'affaires.
The petition is addressed to Canada’s Minister of External Affairs John Baird. The petitioners believe that a permanent Canadian diplomatic presence in Armenia would ensure Canada immediate interaction with and access to the government of Armenia, its businesses and people. Such a presence would promote Canadian commercial interests and promote other areas of bilateral relations, the petitioners maintain.
After years of failed attempts by the 100,000-strong Canadian-Armenian community to facilitate the establishment of Canadian diplomatic representation in Armenia, a small group of Canadian-Armenians has launched a petition to persuade Ottawa to open an embassy in Yerevan manned by a chargé d'affaires.
The petition is addressed to Canada’s Minister of External Affairs John Baird. The petitioners believe that a permanent Canadian diplomatic presence in Armenia would ensure Canada immediate interaction with and access to the government of Armenia, its businesses and people. Such a presence would promote Canadian commercial interests and promote other areas of bilateral relations, the petitioners maintain.
The petitioners say the Canadian diplomatic office in Yerevan would not replace the Canadian Embassy in Moscow which is currently responsible for Armenia. The focus of the Yerevan office would be the development of Canada-Armenia relations.
A Canadian diplomatic presence in Armenia, say the petitioners, would increase Canadian investor confidence in Armenia. Investments create jobs and help curtail emigration. As Armenia transitions to a full democracy with market economy, Canadian diplomatic presence in Yerevan can boost such policies and make Armenia more confident about democracy, the petitioners believe.
The petitioners hope the presence of a Canadian chargé d'affaires would eventually be followed by full diplomatic relations and an ambassador.
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Keghart
Keghart
8 comments
Petition for Canadian Representation
It would be a relief to know, while traveling to Armenia, that as a Canadian citizen we have a representative in time of need.
Eager to Collaborate
Thank you for promoting this petition on Keghart.com
Canadians concerned for Armenia is a small group of dedicated individuals, both non-partisan and non-denominational. Not that we are against any party or religious groupings: to the contrary, we are with them and we are eager to collaborate with everyone to help build our homeland and encourage it to continue on a stable democratic and economic path.
We think this is an opportune time to reach out to our Federal Government, before a federal election in 2015.
As a small, non-partisan group, we are eager to move in a spirit of collaboration with every individual and organization that wishes to help Armenia. We think that the objective of this petition is a good way to start. By asking our government to foster a more formal Canada-Armenia relations, Armenia will become part of the 'lingo' in our foreign service bureaucracy. It is about time the Canadian Government recognized the 100,000+ Canadian Armenians who pay taxes in this country. We recognize this is only a start but we think that in the long run a more formal link will help us move forward for more substantive objectives.
We encourage all Canadians to sign this petition and to ensure that all their Canadian family members and friends who have an email address sign it as well. It only takes 30 seconds.
Serge-
On behalf of Canadians Concerned For Armenia
[email protected]
This comment is to supplement
This comment is to supplement the one by my colleague, Mr. Serge Markar – ov, a young and patriotic Canadian-Armenian.
One can't help notice that a large proportion of those who signed this petition are Canadians of various ethnic origins. We are particularly proud of this. These signatures represent Canadians who know about Armenia, its history and the Armenian culture, and who care about helping Armenia develop and become stable, to achieve its potential in peace, democracy and social justice.
These Canadians are joining their fellow Canadians of Armenian origin in urging our Federal Government to take action.
Please note that we (the small coordinating group) have not asked Change.org to collect money on our behalf nor have we authorized them to collect money from our sympathizers “to promote this petition”. While we are happy to have support in promoting the petition, we are not requesting financial support.
In closing, this is a common/shared unaffiliated petition 'owned' by all of you who joined it by signing/ promoting it. Thank you very much! Your support makes a difference!
Représentation canadienne en Arménie
Demande pleinement justifiée au regard de l'engagement de la communauté arménienne du Canada.
Armenian Representation
Most important is the representation of all Diaspora Armenians–Canadian and other–to United Nations meetings along with the official Armenian delegation in the form of an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), with a consultative status, entitled to take the floor, submit reports and documents and expose the Armenian Cause at all important meetings of the international community. In particular, Council of Human rights and related institutions and bodies, including the high-level General Assembly and Security Council (on 29 January Ambassador Nazarian did it). The entire geopolitics of Turkey and Azerbaijan are clearly stated within the international community, which is the only legal resort to express and resolve conflicts. Hateful language and false accusations are recurrent from the adversarial parties. Diaspora Armenian must participate to these military but very serious confrontations. Armenia is in a downfall situation.
Aline Dedeyan
Geneva
Surprising Ms.Aline
Surprising Ms.Aline Dedeyan, but bravo. Coming from an Armenian lady this call for an Armenian Diaspora spokesman at that august institution. Kudos to Mr. Nazarian who really "gave" it to the adversary´s envoy (Turkey) at the U.N. Your observation is very much in place.
I may be one–hopefully not the only one–who has been advocating for a representative body. Rather my version or a Supreme Council of the Armenian Diaspora. And how do you that? Through PCA´s (professional Colleagues Associations) which I have advocated for a number of years. Our Armenian and English language weeklies they never publish them.
We need a Supreme Council with central bodies in townships, plus through a chrystalization. In five departments where we have five main communities: North and.South America, the European Union, the Russian Federation, and the Middle East. The legal-political body would be in Strasbourg, France; the executive in NY (near UN bodies and the RoA representatives; the economic in Geneva; the social services and future repatriation organizing in Moscow, and the spiritual in St. Echmiadzin, in conjunction with the Great House of Cilicia. All in constant contact with the central councils of all countries.
The "Sahmanatrutyun"/Constitution, drawn up under the harsh Ottoman rule (managed by the clergy and the amiras) is not compatible with the dynamic new Diaspora of today.
Canadian Rep. in Armenia
I can't believe that the Canadian government does not have a representative in Armenia. We hope this will change since there are hundreds of thousands of Armenians living in Canada. A Canadian diplomatic representative will understand the hardships and threats from neighboring countries to the Armenian nation down the centuries. We hope a Canadian representative will be sent to Armenia shortly.
Canadian Representation
Զարմանալի եւ մանաւանդ անհասկնալի է Գանատական պետական ներկայացուցչութեան բացակայութիւնը Հայաստանէն։
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