After over 5 months of planning, a bipartisan delegation of prominent California elected officials and representatives from the Armenian National Committee of America - Western Region (ANCA-WR) will travel to Armenia and Artsakh this week to meet with influential figures across Armenia’s and NKR’s political spectrum and obtain first-hand understanding of the rich and dynamic cultures. The visit is scheduled to take place from September 15, 2013 to September 24, 2013.

”The California State legislative delegation to Armenia is a long overdue and groundbreaking development. We are very pleased that Speaker Perez and a bipartisan group of legislators will be arriving in our country at the invitation of the Governments of Armenia and Artsakh. We are hopeful that this first in kind mission would leave a lasting impact and contribute to strengthening political contacts between the Republic of Armenia and the great State of California - home to hundreds of thousands of compatriots,” stated former Consul General of Armenia in Los AngelesGrigor Hovhannissian.

The delegation members plan to hold meetings with officials and to pay historic site visits.

”The gathering of representatives from both the State of California and the City of Los Angeles governments is an important step in strengthening the ties with the Republic of Armenia. I am pleased to have the largest Armenian American political organization in the United States, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), as part of this traveling delegation to the Republic of Armenia. I look forward to continue working with the ANCA in building a greater relationship between the Republic of Armenia, the California State Assembly and the Armenian American Diaspora. Promoting further awareness of issues pertinent to Armenia is an integral part of my responsibility as both a State Assemblyman and as an Armenian-American,” noted Assembly member Adrin Nazarian.