Ambassador Arman Kirakossian’s Remarks At The
Ceremony Honoring Rita Balian for Receiving Outstanding Citizen Achievement
Award by USAID
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to be at this ceremony honoring my dear friend Rita Balian for receiving the Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award by the USAID. On behalf of the Armenian Government and the Embassy, I want to congratulate Mrs. Balian on this award and wish her success in her programs. I also want to thank the USAID for its continued assistance to Armenia and the partnership we enjoy in implementing difficult political and economic reforms in Armenia. Ms. Balian is a benefactor, political activist, and a social visionary with a keen sense of patriotism and history. She is a perfect symbol of the Armenian American community: a successful American community activist and patriot with a keen awareness of her own Armenian identity. The strong nature of the U.S.-Armenian relations is based on shared political, economic, and social values and common interests, and the U.S. citizens of the Armenian descent – the Armenian Diaspora in America – provide the human link between our countries. The Armenian-American community is successful and its presence is felt in all aspects of the American life, from politics to economy and entertainment. Hundreds of thousands of Armenian-Americans have fought and given their lives for the United States, while making significant contributions to their country and humankind. And now that Armenia is independent again, the Armenian-American community is helping to build a strong, democratic, and prosperous Armenia. And Rita and Vartkes Balians have been among the first to help Armenia, both personally and by mobilizing the community towards that objective. When a powerful earthquake devastated northern Armenia in 1988, Rita and Vartkes established several humanitarian projects in Armenia, and their presence in Armenia continued ever since. Rita Balian is also well known for her political activism both in Armenia and in the United States. As a recognized community leader, she has an excellent command of the issues at the center of U.S.-Armenian relations, and she uses her knowledge and experience to advance a better understanding of the Armenian issues in the United States, to promote economic and social reforms in Armenia. In short, her presence is felt both here and in Armenia, and I think we should clone her so that there is at least one Rita Balian on each continent. It will take me the better half of this ceremony to recite all the projects and endeavors Rita Balian engaged in to assist Armenia and the Armenian people. I want to emphasize her achievements in one area in particular. Armenia’s most valuable and promising natural resource is its people, an educated citizenry and a healthy family. The Armenian health care system should rank as high on the list of the national priorities but the government’s ability to address all of health care needs of Armenia is restrained by the nation’s resources. And this is where numerous private NGO’s and individuals, as well as international donors, including the United States, stepped in and brought their valuable assistance to hospitals and clinics, as well as colleges and other health care institutions. One of the best success stories is the establishment of the Armenian American Mammography Center in Yerevan in April 1997 with the help of the USAID, which continues to exist to this day, and has recently been renamed Armenian American Wellness Center to reflect its broader scope. The Wellness Center is an excellent example of an investment in the human capital of Armenia. By contributing to the health of the Armenian women, the Center is promoting the well-being of the Armenian people. As the President of the Center, Armenian Parliamentarian Hranush Hakobian said, “the Center has been a life-saver for thousands of women and girls, providing them with critically needed health screening, care, and emotional support.” The Center’s success is the best testimony to the devotion, kindness, hard work, and diligence of Rita Balian. More than anything else, her work on this center helped promote reform and change the attitudes towards the healthcare issues in Armenia. Once again, I am honored to be present here today, and I think nobody deserves this award than Rita Balian. Please be assured of our constant support of your programs. We will work with our counterparts in the U.S. Government and Armenian-American organizations and individuals to ensure that health, education, and training programs continue to remain priorities for foreign assistance to Armenia. Thank you. |