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Articles about Sarkis Yedelian

 24 September 2007 Article in French about Sarkis Yedelian in Nouvelle D' Armenie Sarkis Yedelian premier élu arménien d’Australie ...lundi 24 septembre 2007, par Stéphane/armenews.   

Itinéraire

55 ans, marié, père d’un garcon et d’une fille, Sarkis Yedelian, né au Liban, est le premier australien élu d’origine arménienne.

Contrairement à la grande majorité des arméniens, la famille de Sarkis Yedelian a pu échapper au Génocide. Originaire d’Aintab, ancien vilayet d’Alep, son père naît en 1918 sur l’itinéraire de la déportation à Ourfa, comme il le dit lui-même “actuellement située dans la région occupée de l’Arménie en Turquie”. Sa mère est originaire de Kessab, en Syrie, proche de la frontière turque.

Après avoir suivi toutes ses études à Beyrouth (1) jusqu’à l’Université américaine, section Technologie Électronique, Sarkis Yedelian et sa famille sont contraints de quitter le Liban pour cause de guerre civile. Ils rejoignent alors oncles et tantes, déjà installés en Australie.

1979, fraichement débarqué en terre australienne, Sarkis Yedelian trouve un job dans la photo et s’investit d’emblée au service de la communauté arménienne de la ville de Ryde (2) située à environ 12 kms au Nord-Ouest de Sydney. C’est ainsi que l’une de ses principales préoccupations sera de fonder l’école Hamazkain Arshag & Sophie Galstaun “pour perpétuer l’identité arménienne” , regrettant de constater que “les parents paressent à envoyer leurs enfants dans les écoles arméniennes”.

Un destin forgé à la force du poignet

Avec un bagage lui permettant de communiquer en cinq langues parmi lesquelles l’arménien, le français, l’arabe, le turc “parce que c’était la seule façon de pouvoir communiquer avec mes grand-parents” , et l’anglais, dont il dit, non sans humour, qu’ayant été la dernière langue qu’il ait apprise, il a gardé l’accent arménien. “Ils savent que je suis étranger, mais cela ne m’a pas découragé” dit-il, évoquant les australo-australiens de Ryde. “J’ai toujours affronté les défis et particulièrement lorsqu’ils sont difficiles”. C’est ainsi que deux ans après que le Parlement (3) de la Nouvelle Galles du Sud ait reconnu la réalité du Génocide des Arméniens, en 1999, Sarkis Yedelian se présente pour la première fois en tant que candidat indépendant aux élections du Conseil municipal de Ryde. Recalé par “manque d’expérience”, il est élu Conseiller le 6 avril 2004 (4) .

Dans le même temps, toujours dans l’objectif de réunir et d’informer la communauté arménienne, il fonde Armenian Sydney TV. Fonctionnant uniquement sur la base du volontariat, des dons et du sponsoring, Armenian TV Sydney émet depuis Gladesville, gratuitement, 3 heures par jour .

Objectif et Stratégie

Sous son impulsion, le 12 avril 2005, la ville de Ryde reconnaît unanimement le Génocide des Arméniens. L’intention avouée de cette reconnaissance a en réalité un autre dessein. En effet, Ryde abrite ni plus ni moins que le Premier ministre du gouvernement fédéral en la personne de l’honorable John Howard. “Là était la raison principale de la décision du Conseil” avoue Sarkis Yedelian. Influer sur sa personne au niveau fédéral par cette reconnaissance locale. Récemment, alors qu’il assistait à la cérémonie d’ouverture du Festival Culturel arménien à Sydney, John Howard ne fit aucun commentaire sur la question (4). Mais Sarkis Yedelian eut une autre idée...

Élu Député-Maire (6) par le Conseil municipal le 12 septembre 2007, il envisage dès lors de se présenter à l’élection fédérale de Bennelong du mois de Novembre pour jouer l’arbitre du duel annoncé entre le libéral John Howard et la travailliste Maxine McKew (7), favorable “ sans hésitation” à la reconnaissance du Génocide des Arméniens si elle est élue. Selon Sarkis Yedelian , les trois à quatre mille voix qu’il récupérerait pourraient s’avérer déterminantes. Là est sa seule ambition. Faire avancer la Cause.

Pour le reste, ses multiples occupations au service de ses administrés et de la communauté arménienne ne lui laisse que très peu de loisirs, tant la charge est vécue comme un sacerdoce.

Par ailleurs, il faut savoir que l’ANC d’Australie, sous la présidence de Varant Meguerditchian, joue un rôle primordial de lobby en direction du gouvernement. Le 14 octobre plus d’un millier de manifestants se réuniront autour de personnalités politiques et représentants de la communauté arménienne pour demander la reconnaissance du Génocide.

Jean Eckian

Legislative Council » 24/05/2005 » Article 66 of 68 »

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LC20050524066

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NINETIETH ANNIVERSARY
Page: 15961


Reverend the Hon. FRED NILE [9.20 p.m.]: I would like to bring to the attention of the House a very important event that occurred on 24 April last. It was the ninetieth anniversary of the Armenian genocide. This commemorative event was held at the Willoughby Civic Centre, which was packed with mainly Australian Armenians, including some of those who survived the genocide that commenced on 24 April 1915. The commemorative program included the singing of the Australian and Armenian national anthems by the Armenian school children's choir, youth addresses in Armenian and English, moving violin music and an Armenian string ensemble.

Statements were made on behalf of the Prime Minister, John Howard, by the Hon. Joe Hockey; on behalf of the Hon. Kim Beazley by Mr Tony Burke, MP, recently of this House; and on behalf of the Premier, Bob Carr, by the Hon. John Watkins; MP, and by the Hon. John Brogden, Leader of the Opposition. The key address was given by Mrs Hilda Tchoboian, President of the European Armenian Federation. The closing prayer and blessings were given by His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Australia and New Zealand.

Special mention was made that Ryde City Council had recently passed a motion marking the ninetieth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ryde City Council passed the following motion, which was moved by an Armenian member of the council, Independent councillor Mr Sarkis Yedelian:

That this Council:

(1) acknowledges this year as marking the occasion of the 90th anniversary commemoration of the Genocide of the Armenians perpetrated by the then Ottoman Government between the years 1915 and 1922;

(2) joins with the Armenian community of Ryde in honouring the memory of the 1.5 million men, women and children who died in the first genocide of the twentieth century;

(3) recognises 24th April every year as a day of remembrance of the Armenian genocide;

(4) condemns the genocide of the Armenians and all other acts of genocide committed as the ultimate act of racial, religious and cultural intolerance;

(5) calls on the Commonwealth Government to officially condemn:

(i) the genocide of the Armenians

(ii) any attempt to deny such crimes against humanity.

On 24 April this year, on the eve of the ninetieth anniversary of the Anzac landings, Armenians the world over, including the many thousands of Armenian Australians living in Ryde, will commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In 1915, in anticipation of the Allied invasion, the Ottoman Empire set in motion a plan to exterminate the entire Christian Armenian population living on their ancestral lands of eastern Anatolia, part of what is today the Republic of Turkey. This state-sponsored program resulted in the brutal extermination of some 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children. Councillor Yedelian, in moving the motion, said:

As the first Australian Councillor of Armenian ancestry, and son of a survivor of the Armenian Genocide, I feel honoured to have moved this motion. The importance of this commemorative motion, however, goes beyond the Armenian-Australian community, many thousands of whom call the City of Ryde home.

In stark contrast to post-Nazi Germany, which has acknowledged and sought to atone for the crimes of the Nazi regime, successive Turkish governments have refused to come to terms with their own history. The 'industry of genocide denial' by successive Turkish States has set a very dangerous precedent, which has already been relied upon by at least one mass murderer, Hitler, for his genocidal crimes, and cannot be left without redress.

As the City of Ryde has one of the largest and growing Armenian Australian constituencies, it is fitting that Ryde council has added its name to the growing list of multinational, national, State, provincial and municipal legislative bodies, including the New South Wales Parliament—as honourable members know, we have a memorial here in our parliamentary gardens—that have commemorated and reaffirmed the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide, and which have provided a resounding response to Hitler's self-justifying question in 1939, before he embarked on his genocidal deeds during World War II against the Jewish people and others, "Who remembers now the destruction of the Armenians?" That was the statement of Adolf Hitler, assuming he had won the war, to excuse what he had done to Jewish people. As with a similar motion passed unanimously by the New South Wales Parliament in 1997, the Ryde Council motion also calls on the Federal Parliament to add its voice to this important call. [Time expired.]

Legislative Assembly » 04/05/2005 »
NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard (Proof)


ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NINETIETH ANNIVERSARY
Page: 64

Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN (Willoughby) [5.35 p.m.]: I wish to inform the House that 24 April 2005 marked the ninetieth anniversary of the human tragedy that is the Armenian genocide. As the grand-daughter of survivors and a member of Parliament who represents an electorate which, for decades, has been at the centre of activity for the Australian-Armenian community, I will detail the commemorative services that marked this solemn and historic occasion. It is with deep sadness and a strong sense of frustration that those with Armenian heritage around the world recall the events of 1915 as the descendants of the perpetrators of the genocide to this day, namely the Turkish Government, refuse to accept that the genocide occurred, notwithstanding that many Turkish academics are calling upon their fellow country men and women to come to terms with their past.

The Armenians, living on ancestral lands in eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire, represented a physical, political, cultural and religious obstacle to a homogenised Turkic Empire. The architects of the genocide were inspired by a will to replace the multireligious Ottoman Empire with a pure Pan-Turkic Empire stretching from the Bosphorus to Central Asia. At that time more than half the Armenian population was brutally massacred. Some 1.5 million men, women and children were systematically exterminated and hundreds of thousands were forced to flee their homeland. The brutality started on 24 April 1915 and most Armenian political, religious and cultural leaders were arrested and murdered. The remaining population of the elderly, women and children were rounded up by special organisation death squads and were forced to either renounce their Christianity or to be raped or massacred. Most of the survivors were deported from their ancestral lands and exiled around the world.

If such crimes against humanity are not redressed genocidist states have a licence to commit these crimes again and again. No greater evidence exists than the absolute trail of human misery during the twentieth century caused by the heinous crime of genocide—the Jewish Holocaust, Eritrea, Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and, as we speak, Dharfur in the Sudan. Under the auspices of the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee the Willoughby Town Hall was the venue of a major service on 24 April 2005. I thank the members of Parliament on both sides of the Chamber who came to show their support for the community and to pay their respects to the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian genocide, and to all victims of genocide. International guest speaker at the function, Mrs Hilda Tchoboian, President of the Armenian-European Federation for Justice and Diplomacy, spoke of the considerable progress in Europe in recognition of the genocide. She also outlined the large sum of resources the Turkish Government is continuing to dedicate to fuel its machine of genocide denial.

Earlier that day members of the Armenian community gathered in Meadowbank Park to unveil a plaque dedicated to the victims of the Armenian genocide by Ryde City Council. This followed a unanimous motion passed by Ryde City Council in acknowledging the Armenian genocide as the first genocide of the twentieth century. On the evening of 25 April the Armenian General Benevolent Union held a commemoration at the Macquarie Theatre, where international guest speaker Dr Touranian spoke about the importance of remembering Armenian culture but, most importantly, within the context of first and foremost being loyal and hardworking Australian citizens. On 28 April the Armenian Youth Federation held a candlelight vigil from Hyde Park to Parliament House. They met with participants and community leaders on the rooftop garden, where a ceremony was held at the site of the memorial, which reflects the motion passed in this Chamber in 1997.

On Sunday 1 May the Hye Hoki Armenian Youth Group held an outstanding film festival and showed four films, which shed considerable light on the impact of the genocide through successive motions. The words of the 1997 bipartisan and unanimous motion condemning the atrocities of the Armenian genocide moved by my predecessor the Hon. Peter Collins appear on the plaque in the garden in this building. The motion joins members of the House with members of the New South Wales Armenian community in honouring the memory of the 1.5 million men, women and children who fell victim to the first genocide of the twentieth century; condemns the genocide of the Armenians and all other acts of genocide committed during our century as the ultimate act of racial, religious and cultural intolerance; recognises the importance of remembering and learning from such dark chapters in human history to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not allowed to be repeated; condemns and prevents all attempts to use the passage of time to deny or distort the historical truth of the genocide of the Armenians and other acts of genocide committed during this century; designates 24 April in every year thereafter throughout New South Wales as a day of remembrance of the 1.5 million Armenians who fell victim to the first genocide of the twentieth century; and calls on the Commonwealth Government to officially condemn the genocide of the Armenians and any attempt to deny such crimes against humanity.

As a child I was often reminded of the tragedy that befell my grandparents and I felt fortunate to be born and raised in a wonderful country like Australia. I was always encouraged by my parents and leaders within the Australian Armenian community to be active and involved in important causes and issues. When the heinous crime of genocide is committed against any group of people on earth it is a crime committed against all of us. We must be forever vigilant in recognising and acting against such atrocities to ensure that they never occur again. Last Saturday morning I joined my friends in the Rwandan community who came together to remember the 800,000 victims of the Rwanda genocide, which occurred just 11 years ago. I listened with great sadness as survivors of the genocide spoke of witnessing the tragic deaths of their parents and siblings, and described their own fight for life. As human beings we all have a collective responsibility to ensure that the perpetrators of genocide are brought to justice and that we condemn such unspeakable acts no matter where they occur in the world. [Time expired.
 

The Weekly Times April 2005

Call for Howard to back local stand on Armenian Genocide.

Ryde City Council has made history as the first council in Australia to officially condemn the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1922 - now it wants the Federal Government to follow suit.

At its meeting last week, Clr Sarkis Yedelian asked that Council help the Armenian community of Ryde honour the memory of the 1.5 million men women and children who died in the first genocide of the 20th century.

The genocide was carried out under the cover of the World War One and started on the eve of the Anzacs landing at Gallipoli.

Local Armenians filled the Council gallery and many gave moving speeches asking Council to make this political statement.

The Turkish Government officially denies the Armenian genocide ever took place and governments around the world have passed similar resolutions to Ryde’s which condemns the Turkish government’s denial.

However, the Australian Government remains with the USA as one of the few western nations that have not.

Clr Yedelian and many speakers hoped the fact that Ryde is in the Prime Minister’s electorate of Bennelong would move him to take note and reconsider the Australian Government’s position.

One of the most moving speakers was 16-year old Narek Michaelian. “I’ve come here to honour my grandfather who was a survivor of the genocide,” said the teenager.

“I carry the scars of my grandfather’s pain with me but above all my grandfather’s determination for justice.”

Ryde City Council has agreed to: call on Federal Government to officially condemn the genocide; recognise April 24 each year as a day of remembrance; install a plaque in Memorial Park Meadowbank (dedication this Sunday at 12.30pm).

North-west Sydney is home to a large concentration of Armenians. In Ryde there are an estimated 8,000-10,000 Armenians, but the exact figure cannot be known because the Australian Census asks only where a person migrated to Australia from, not their ethnic descent.

The genocide scattered Armenians through the Middle East and Europe. For example, Clr Yedelian is classified as being Lebanese, not Armenian, because he grew up in Lebanon.

Friday 14 October 2005  HYETIEMES -  By Aleena Bablanian 

HyeTimes was present when Ryde City Council unanimously passed a motion condemning the Armenian Genocide committed by the ruling Turks of 1915.

Australia’s first elected Councillor of Armenian origin, SARKIS YEDELIAN, was he who presented that motion, and suggested a plaque be erected in memory of the 1.5 million innocent men, women and children who lost their lives. The plaque was subsequently granted by his colleagues, before being callously removed by vandals.

It has been a successful and dramatic start to Mr Yedelian’s career as a Councillor of the City he’s a proud citizen of and has kindly agreed to spare some of his busy hours to speak exclusively with HyeTimes’ columnist ALEENA BABLANIAN.



HyeTimes (HT): What motivated you to become a member of the City of Ryde?

Sarkis Yedelian (SY): I have always believed that Australian-Armenians should participate in all aspects of the political life of Australia. We have chosen this beautiful and wonderful country as our home, and as new Australians we can and should make our modest contribution to Australia's advancement.
Armenians have in general been reluctant to participate in the political life of their host countries. Ever since my arrival in Australia in 1979, I have always been active in different community organisations (both Armenian and non-Armenian), and have encouraged the youth to participate in political life. However, very few others have taken the opportunity to participate in Australian political life. Ryde has the biggest concentration of Armenians in Australia, and so I thought it was the best place to start serving my community and paving the way for other Armenians. I have lived in Ryde for over 22 years, and was motivated by the desire to improve the life of Ryde residents. I ran for the local council elections for the first time in 1999 as an independent candidate. I lost that election, but it was a learning process and a good experience. On 27 March 2004, I tried it again and this time I was successful and I am proud to have made history by becoming the first elected councillor in Australia of Armenian ancestry.

HT: What kind of support and help did you receive from the community to aid in your election?

SY: Being elected for public office would have been impossible without the help of volunteers from within the community, both Armenian and non-Armenian. I was lucky to have such a great team, including Paul Michaels, Houri Torossian, Albert Simoni and my family, who all played an important role in my election process. On Election Day, we had more than 160 volunteers helping our team. While candidates from the political parties had financial support and the backing of an organised membership base, being an independent candidate meant that I had to find my own volunteers, finance the entire cost of the election, and print my own election brochures, posters and advertisements in the local papers. I was lucky to have immense support from different sections of the community of Ryde. I should take this opportunity to thank, in particular, members of the AYF and ANC who helped me during the election. Without their support I simply would not have been elected.

HT: How did you feel when you were elected?

SY: I must admit that I was getting a little anxious and was checking the Internet every day and ringing the office of the returning officer to find out the result. The counting of the votes took quite a long time - I had to wait for a week to find out the final results. On Saturday 3rd of April 2004, I was at Villawood, the headquarters of Election Commission, when I finally received the news that I had been elected as councillor. It was a wonderful moment. I felt a sense of great responsibility, and was happy that I had been elected and had not let down my family, friends, the hundreds of volunteers that helped me during the elections, and most of all the voters who had voted for me. I knew how much it meant for them that I be elected. I was deeply humbled and grateful to the people of Ryde for their support and trust. It was, and still is, an immense honour for me to be given the opportunity to serve the people of Ryde.


HT: How did you contribute in the Ryde Council's passing of the Resolution on the Armenian Genocide?

SY: The Armenian Genocide is inseparable from the everyday life of an Armenian. I feel that any decent human being, and in particular any Armenian, should contribute in whatever way they can to bringing this injustice to the attention of the civilised world and securing appropriate recognition of the Armenian Genocide. I think our fight for justice should not be motivated for selfish reasons but rather because we want to prevent other genocides from taking place.

A number of weeks prior to the Genocide Resolution being passed, I discussed my motion with my fellow councillors and was able to obtain their support. On 12 April 2005, I presented the Resolution to the Council meeting and it was passed unanimously.

HT: May you please outline the specifics of the resolution and what it means to the Armenian people?

SY: The exact wording of the resolution is outlined bellow.
That this Council:
1. acknowledges this year as marking the occasion of the 90th anniversary commemoration of the Genocide of the Armenians perpetrated by the then Ottoman Government between the years 1915-1922;
2. joins with the Armenian community of Ryde in honouring the memory of the 1.5 million men, women and children who died in the first genocide of the twentieth century;
3. recognises 24 April every year as a day of remembrance of the Armenian genocide;
4. condemns the genocide of the Armenians and all other acts of genocide committed as the ultimate act of racial, religious and cultural intolerance;
5. calls on the Commonwealth Government to officially condemn:
(i) the genocide of the Armenians
(ii) any attempt to deny such crimes against humanity.

This Resolution of the Council, and especially the fact that it was passed unanimously, is very significant for the Armenians. It gives us the confidence that we are not alone in our commitment to our just cause. In stark contrast to post-Nazi Germany, which has acknowledged and sought to atone for the crimes of the Nazi regime, successive Turkish governments have refused to come to terms with their own history. The 'industry of genocide denial' by successive Turkish States has set a very dangerous precedent, which has already been relied upon by at least one mass murderer, Hitler, to justify his genocidal crimes. This Resolution and the Plaque confront Turkish denialism head-on, and strengthens our faith in justice and hope that the policy of denial can and should never succeed.

HT: Why is it important to have the Genocide addressed at a local government level?


SY: As the City of Ryde has one of the largest and growing Armenian-Australian constituencies, it is fitting that Ryde Council has added its name to the growing list of international, national, state/provisional and municipal legislative bodies (including the NSW Parliament) that have commemorated and reaffirmed the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide, and that have provided a resounding response to Hitler's self-justifying question in 1939 before he embarked on the Holocaust - "Who remembers now the destruction of the Armenians?"
As with the motion passed unanimously by the NSW Parliament in 1997, the City of Ryde Council Motion calls on the Federal Parliament to add its voice to the call for justice for the victims and survivors of The Armenian Genocide. It is important to note that the City of Ryde is located within the Federal electorate of Bennelong, which is represented by the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard. I am sure that one day, with the help of our community; we will succeed in passing a similar resolution in Federal Parliament.

HT: What was your role in the launch of the plaque for the 90th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide?

SY: After 12 April 2005 Council Genocide resolution, I approached the General Manger and with consultation with the Mayor, the General Manager decided to erect a memorial garden and a commemorative plaque at Meadowbank Memorial Park with the following inscription;
“TO COMMEMORATE THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENOCIDE OF THE ARMENIANS PERPETRATED BY THE THEN OTTOMAN GOVERNMENT DURING 1915-1922 THAT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF 1.5 MILLION MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN."
The dedication of the Memorial Garden and the plaque was held on April 24, 2005 in the presence of hundreds of fellow Armenians and community leaders and representatives of different community organisations. It was a historical day for Australian-Armenians and residents of Ryde City.

HT: How did you personally feel about the theft of the Plaque?

SY: While I was not happy about it, it did not surprise me. The Council received hundreds of emails and phone calls calling on the Council to condemn this vandalism and replace the Plaque with a new one. The Mayor and the General Manager expressed their outrage and promised to stand by the Resolution that had been passed.


HT: What measures do you think should be taken in response to this theft?

SY: Unfortunately vandalism and theft are part of our everyday life. Council officers will use better and more secure materials to attach the new Plaque to the sandstone, and will install additional lighting. Community awareness and Council readiness to replace it as soon as possible is another way of deterring such vandalism and theft.


HT: What kind of support can the Armenian community of Ryde expect from the City of Ryde Council in the coming years?

SY: The residents of Ryde elect the councillors, and it is the Council's duty to listen to its residents and act accordingly. The Armenian Community of Ryde should get more involved and participate in the civic life of Ryde as residents of the City. They should lobby Council for whatever services they require.


HT: Briefly describe “a week in the life of a Ryde Councillor‿.

SY: Every Friday afternoon, councillors receive the business papers and related documents with special delivery. On the weekend, we study and if necessary we call other fellow councillors and discuss any issues. If necessary we visit parks, construction sites and public facilities. On Tuesday (from 4pm till late night) we attend Council meetings and make decisions about items listed in the business papers. If necessary we visit with Council officers, subject properties and parks. Council meetings are open to the public and anybody can attend the meetings. During the week, we get many phone calls and letters from residents and community organisations relaying to us their concerns.
We get invited to many community functions. Almost everyday we have to attend community functions. I have found that being a Councillor is a very demanding position, thus family life is greatly affected.

HT: Are you planning on progressing your role in the council in the future?

SY: I still have another three years to serve. I am new and have many things to learn. Every day I am confronted with a new and interesting challenge. I have already represented Ryde Council in many conferences. I participate in many committees.
I will encourage other Armenian youth to enter politics and participate in all aspects of public and political life. I will be more than happy to help and guide anyone interested, just give me a call on 0412 048 330 or email me at sarkis_yedelian@yahoo.com.au.
I will continue to always keep the concerns of local residents first and foremost in my mind as I make decisions as a councillor. I would like to see the Top Ryde redevelopment completed according to the wishes and needs of the local residents. I would like to see Council become more accountable and its decisions more transparent. Ryde City is a great place to live, and I'll be doing everything I can to ensure that it remains so. In addition, I would like to see more elected councillors of Armenian ancestry. Also, during my term, I will be working towards establishing a sister city relationship with a city in Armenia.

HT: Thank you greatly for your time Councillor Yedelian and we wish you every success in your future endeavours.

SY: You’re welcome. I'd like to thank the staff of HyeTimes for giving me this opportunity to communicate with their readers.

Friday 14 October 2005