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Delinquent Diplomat: Los Angeles Armenians Demand New General Consul
Hetq has received a letter signed by a “group of diaspora Armenians taking Grigor Hovhannisyan, the Armenian General Consul in Los Angeles, to task for three years of ineptitude and failure to perform his assigned duties.
So frustrated is the group that in their letter they call on Armavia Airlines to give Hovhannisyan a one way ticket back to Yerevan and to charge the All Armenian Fund for the cost of the ticket.
The group charges Hovhannisyan with neglecting the local community, especially RA citizens residing in the Los Angeles area.
They say that the location of the Armenian Consulate has changed several times over the years and despite the fact that it has moved closer to the densely populated Armenian community of Glendale, nothing has changed in terms of community outreach.
The letter writers claim that Hovhannisyan has always avoided contact with the community, its youth, reporters and writers’ union, and has only made one appearance on local Armenian TV during his three year tenure as consul.
During that appearance, Hovhannisyan is said to have urged the community not to stage protests outside the consulate.
The group reminds Hovhannisyan that they reside in a democratic country where freedom of expression is a cherished value and that he should wake up to this reality.
They also accuse Hovhannisyan of failing to meet with community members at a July 13 protest regarding the murder of military physician Vahe Avetyan.
The protestors wanted to hand a letter to the consul but he refused to come outside and instead sent an underling to discuss terms. The staffer told protestors that only one person would be allowed in to hand the letter to Hovhannisyan.
The letter writers call on RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan to immediately recall Hovhannisyan and replace him with a more suitable and well-meaning diplomat.
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