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Gladys Berejiklian: I hope to visit Armenia next year as Premier of New South Wales

Premier of Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Gladys Berejiklian hopes to visit Armenia next year, she said in an interview with NEWS.am. Gladys Berejiklian, Armenian by origin, told about her visit to Armenia and Karabakh as well as her Armenian heritage.

Gladys Berejiklian: I hope to visit Armenia next year as Premier of New South Wales

Gladys Berejiklian: I hope to visit Armenia next year as Premier of New South Wales

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: The interview with News.am is presented below:

What is your main task as Prime Minister of New South Wales? 

New South Wales is home to 7.8 million people and is the largest of Australia’s six states. About a third of Australia’s population live in NSW. NSW has the largest, fastest-growing and most-diversified economy in Australia. It has an economy larger than Ireland, Norway and Israel.

The role of the Premier is equivalent to that of a State Governor in the United States of America. The Premier is the leader of the Government, the most senior decision maker and most visible face of the State Government to the public. The Premier leads and coordinates the work of a Government Ministers across budgets, policy and new legislation. 

You visited Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh together with the delegation of Australian politicians back in 2013. Could you please share you impressions of this visit?

In July 2013, as part of a Parliamentary delegation of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Armenia, I had the opportunity to visit Armenia in an official capacity. We visited Yerevan, Artsakh and other regions of Armenia. The trip embedded in both my colleagues and me, a deeper understanding of not only the Armenian way of life, but also the challenges and the significant strategic opportunities available to Armenia. 

You have constantly raised the Armenian community concerns in the parliament, including recognition of the Armenian Genocide and Karabakh issue. Do you think Australia can ever recognize the Armenian Genocide?

As the granddaughter of survivors of the Armenian genocide, I am proud of my Armenian heritage and will continue to advocate for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the unanimous recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Parliament of New South Wales. We also have an Armenian Khachkar in our Parliamentary Garden to recognise the victims of the Armenian Genocide.  I hope to visit Armenia next year as the Premier of NSW.


     

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