June 19, 2011, Nicosia: A delegation from the Armenian Evangelical Church in Cyprus visited Mr. Vartkes Mahdessian, the newly-elected Armenian member of the Cyprus parliament. Mr. Mahdessian was first elected in 2006, representing the Armenian community. The Armenians are considered a minority in the Republic of Cyprus and are officially recognized and registered as a Religious Community (gronagan hamaynk) with rights and privileges. The parliamentary elections took place on May 22, 2011, where Mr. Vartkes Mahdessian was re-elected with a majority vote for a new 5-year-term. The visit took place on Saturday, June 18, 2011, to congratulate Mr. Mahdessian.
The delegation representing the Armenian Evangelical Church included Mrs. Nevart Kassouni- Panayiotides, Mr. Hagop Chopourian, Mr. and Mrs. Noris and Seta Gulesserian, Mr. and Dr. Hrayr and Arda Jebejian and Mr. and Mrs. Mihran Jizmejian (Executive Director, AMAA, Canada).
Mr. Hrayr Jebejian thanked Mr. Mahdessian for his dedicated service to the Armenian community and emphasized the importance of working together as various organizations and groups within the Armenian community in Cyprus. He also assured Mr. Mahdessian of the readiness of the Armenian Evangelical Church to continue its contribution to the welfare of the community.
Mr. Mahdessian thanked the delegation for their visit and re-assured them of his willingness to work closely with the different units in the Armenian community. The visit was also a good opportunity to share ideas and concerns about the various issues related to the community life in Cyprus. Mr. Hrayr Jebejian, and on behalf of the Armenian Evangelical Church, presented Mr. Mahdessian a plaque - The Lord’s Prayer - (Hayr Mer) as an appreciation and acknowledgement of his past and future services as the Representative of the Armenian community in the Cyprus parliament.