Mr. Speaker, May 28 is a significant date for the Armenian community in Canada.
On that date, in 1918, the Republic of Armenia was created following the tragic events in which more than one million of their fellow citizens were killed.
Although the new republic was annexed by the Soviet Union soon after, May 28, 1918 remains an important date for all Armenians.
Today the Republic of Armenia is once again an independent country, having declared its independence on September 23, 1991 from the former Soviet Union. Even though the Armenian economy has been strained by recent changes and is currently undergoing a difficult process of economic restructuring, the future now looks brighter for the new republic.
On this day I wish to pay a special tribute to my constituents of Armenian origin who are model Canadians and proud of their rich culture and linguistic Armenian heritage.
I invite all my colleagues to celebrate this anniversary together with all Canadians of Armenian origin.