On May 1-3 the Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia Ms. Hranush Hakobyan was on a working visit to Montreal, Canada.

On May 2 Minister Hakobyan and the Armenian delegation were received by Mayor of Montreal Denis Coderre. During the meeting Minister expressed her gratitude to the Montreal authorities, who have created excellent conditions for the 35.000 Armenians living in the city. Mentioning that Montreal and Yerevan are sister cities, the sides expressed hopes for deepened cooperation between the cities.

In the frameworks of the visit Minister Hakobyan visited Canadian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, headed by Primate Bishop Abgar Hovakimian and the Prelacy of the Holy See of Cilicia, headed by Bishop Meghrig Barikian.

On May 2 Hranush Hakobyan participated in the celebration of the 45th Anniversary of the Alex Manoogian School of Montreal. During the event Minister of Diaspora awarded Gold Medals of the Ministry to Mr. Armen Bechakjian, President of the Board of Directors of Alex Manoogian School and Mr. Aram Yacoubian, member of the Board, for their contributions in the field of Armenian education.

Minister also visited Sb. Hagop School, meeting its students and pedagogical staff.

On May 3, Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia participated in “The March for Humanity”, 10.000 participants of which walked for 100 minutes in the streets of Downtown Montreal to commemorate the Armenian Genocide, Holocaust, Rwandan Genocide and other atrocities against the humanity and to express the importance of preventing the crime of Genocide.

The same evening a cultural event dedicated to the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide took place at Theatre Maisonneuve of Montreal’s renowned Place Des Arts. Armenian classical music and national dance were accompanied by the speeches of Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, Quebec’s Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil, Member of French Parliament Valerie Boyer, famous actor and writer Eric Bogosian and the Chairman of Armenian Genocide Centennial Commemoration Committee Mheir Karakachian.

In her speech Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan thanked Canadian Parliament and Government on behalf of the Armenian authorities for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. She extended a special gratitude to the province of Quebec, which paved the way of Armenian Genocide recognition in Canada.

Finishing her address, Minister Hakobyan praised the Armenian Genocide Centennial Commemoration Committee of Canada and the Canadian-Armenian community for their undertakings and their patriotism.