Portantino Delivers Invitation to Newsom from Armenian Prime Minister

State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D -Pasadena) hand delivered an invitation to Governor Gavin Newsom from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan inviting the governor to visit Armenia.

“It was a tremendous honor to have had the opportunity to deliver a personal invitation from Prime Minister Pashinyan to Governor Newsom. I was pleased to have first met the Prime Minister in Yerevan last year, in Los Angeles, and again in New York,” Portantino said.

This past September Prime Minister Pashinyan met with Governor Newsom in New York to finalize the historic Memorandum of Understanding trade deal between Armenia and California.

The MOU is a comprehensive trade deal that establishes what is going to be known as the “California International Trade Desk” in Yerevan. Senator Portantino played a major proponent in the Trade Desk becoming a reality.

After the MOU was signed, Senator Portantino and Governor Newsom met privately with Prime Minister Pashinyan to discuss increased cooperation between California and Armenia.

Portantino worked for a little over a year to help set in motion trade relations between the two entities. California is the 6th largest economy in the world.

“Watching and listening to the genuine, warm conversation between the Governor and the Prime Minister has been one of the highlights of my time in office,” Portantino said. “Having a front row seat for these important economic and historic events is a privilege. I am very grateful to Governor Newsom for his commitment to strengthening our ties with Armenia and I hope he will one day take up the offer to visit Armenia in person like I have.”

California is also home to one of the largest populations of Armenians around the globe outside of Armenia. This made the Trade Desk and the MOU both a natural fit.

“California and Armenia have so much in common and we should be doing everything we can to foster this connection. The Governor has a long and positive relationship with the Armenian American community and his efforts to negotiate the MOU are to be commended. I was very honored that the Consul General asked me to deliver the invitation,” Portantino said.

Senator Portantino is the Chair of the State Senate Select Committee on California Armenia Artsakh Art, Trade and Cultural Exchange.