Senator Anthony Portantino has introduced to the California State Senate  Senate Bill (SB) 302 to reestablish the California-Armenia Trade Office, Asbarez reported.

The original trade office was established in 2005, but the California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Administration had terminated it in 2008. 

Senator Portantino and co-authors Senator Scott Wilk, Senator Henry Stern, Senator Scott Wiener, Senator Melissa Hurtado and Assemblymember Autumn Burke and Assemblymember Evan Low hope to build a vibrant business relationship between California and Armenia.

Armenia’s Consul General in Los Angeles Armen Baibourtian and Glendale Mayor Zareh Sinanyan joined Senator Portantino in Sacramento to introduce SB 302.

“This is truly an important development for both California and Armenia,” Baibourtian said, in particular, at the event. “We have long-wanted to reestablish the trade office and are very grateful to Senator Portantino and his colleagues for authoring this promising proposal. I know it will be well-received by the Armenian Community in California and business and political leaders in [Armenia’s capital city of] Yerevan.”