Mayor’s appeal to help preserve the Melkonian

Phileleftheros daily - Nicosia (March 12, 2004)

The Mayor of Aglandja, following a decision of the Municipal Council, has made a representation to the President of the Armenian Benevolent Union in New York, Mr. Berge Setrakian, for the need to preserve the Melkonian School.

The letter of appeal says, among others: “I would like to offer my support to any effort to help preserve the School, which has been a centre of education and shelter for the Armenians of Cyprus and other countries, for several decades."

“On May 1st, 2004, Cyprus will join an enlarged European Union of 25 states and 450 million people, where there is a large number of Armenians, who could be considered prospective candidates for the school."

“There will also be new funds from Brussels which could be utilised for the purpose of education programmes.”

(Translated from Greek)

(Ed’s notes: Aglandja is the municipality where the Melkonian Educational Institute is located and one of the seven boroughs comprising the capital Nicosia. The Mayor renamed one of the roads adjacent to the school as “Melkonian Street” in 2001, to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the school and the visit to Cyprus of the descendants of the founding brothers Krikor and Garabed Melkonian.)