Fresno-Etchmiadzin Establish Sister City Relationship with Visit

Evelyn Demirchian
Staff Writer

On August 13, 2010, an official delegation from the city of Etchmiadzin, Armenia, led by Mayor Karen Grigoryan, Deputy Mayor Vazrik Grigoryan, and Councilmember Dr. Samvel Franklyan, arrived in Fresno for a weeklong visit to their new Sister City.

Etchmiadzin is the historic spiritual center of the Armenian Church and the fourth-largest city in Armenia, and its leaders have been in talks for over a year to establish an official Sister City program. Fresno with its large and historic Armenian population and important agricultural industry, makes for a perfect partnership with Etchmiadzin, which also has a large agricultural sector.

The official documents establishing the Sister City relationship were signed over the summer, and the visit was the first opportunity for the two mayors to meet. The delegation was officially welcomed to Fresno at a press conference held by Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin at City Hall on Monday, August 16. Armenian community representatives attended the press conference to welcome the honored guests.

Later that day the guests went to the Fresno State campus, where they visited the Enology Center. Winemaster Kenneth Fugelsang gave a guided tour of the facilities, leading to an idea for a joint project in the area of wine production. Dr. Bill Erysian of the Jordan College of Agriculture organized the visit to the winery and Lucy Erysian assisted in interpreting for the group. Sister City Committee Chairman Bznuni stated that “Fresno State’s enology department offered to make wine from Armenian grapes and see if they can make ‘marketable wine out of them’…all the Armenian side would need to do is ship some grapes to Fresno State [for production].”

Armenian Studies Program Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian then gave a presentation on the history of the Armenian community in Fresno, focusing on the contributions that Armenians had made to the San Joaquin Valley. “The group was fascinated to hear how the Armenians immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and how they were able to make such an impact on the Valley,” said Der Mugrdechian.

Later that night, Deputy Consul General Mesrop Shaboyan, on behalf of the Armenian Consulate in Los Angeles, hosted a dinner in the delegation’s honor.

The delegation visited the California Armenian Home, the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church Blessing of the Grapes picnic, the statue of David of Sassoun, the grave of Soghomon Tehlerian, as well as local Armenian monuments dedicated to William Saroyan.

Chairman Vahagn Bznuni, Prof. Der Mugrdechian, and Councilmember Andreas Borgeas were among representatives of Fresno and the Fresno Armenian community that organized the visit.

There was time dedicated to touring private industry in Fresno, with a trip to Fowler Packing and the National Raisin Company, to see successful local Armenian businesses.

“The visit was exceptional,” according to Councilmember Borgeas, “What we [the Sister City committee] did was work diligently to plan a trip that would give the Etchmiadzin representatives insight into what Fresno is all about.”
Fresno and Etchmiadzin both share an important tie to agriculture. The Armenians delegation and Fresno representatives discussed how to use this commonality to help one another progress economically.

According to Borgeas, “We would like to have a delegation from Fresno go to Armenia in the next year to understand what industries that we have here could expand over there…in areas such as water technology and agricultural technology.”
Much of the visit was focused on coming up with ideas to strengthen the relationship between the two cities. There was a proposal made to organize a student-exchange program with students from Fresno State spending time abroad in Armenia, in order to gain a better cultural and economic sense of the country and of Etchmiadzin.

Another project that was discussed was a possible collaboration with the American Medical Overseas Relief (AMOR), a philanthropic group based in Fresno. The opening of a hospital in Etchmiadzin with aid from AMOR and Fresno donors would mean a permanent tie between the two cities and a way for Armenian-American medical personnel to aid their Armenian brethren as well as pursue research opportunities.

The Etchmiadzin delegation enjoyed their visit. There was an expected language barrier but with many Armenian speakers in the Valley, including Prof. Der Mugrdechian, it was easy to overcome. Overall, everyone was relaxed and in good spirits.

“The Mayor [of Etchmiadzin] is really sharp. He understood what we’re trying to accomplish. We want to have this be a living relationship and get both communities involved,” stated Councilmember Borgeas.
The Fresno-Etchmiadzin Sister City relationship seems ready to grow in the coming years.