YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on April 5 attended the inaugural ceremony of the statue of St. Gregory of Narek in Vatican on the sidelines of his official visit to the Holy See, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The opening ceremony of the statue has been done by Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Holy See Mikayel Minasyan.

A two-meter-high bronze statue has been made in the Czech Republic, the sculptor of the statue is People’s Painter of Armenia Davit Yerevantsi and the architect is Mikayel Hasratyan. This initiative turned into reality thanks to the support of Ambassador Mikayel Minasyan and famous Russian-Armenian businessman Artur Janibekyan, as well as the organizational efforts of Vardan Karapetyan, responsible for culture department of the Armenian Embassy in the Holy See. Two statues were made: one was erected in Vatican, and the next will be erected in Etchmiadzin.

After the inaugural ceremony of the statue in the gardens of Vatican, an ecumenical ceremony was held with the participation of Pope Francis, His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia. Thereafter, President Sargsyan visited the Armenian Embassy in the Holy See where an awarding ceremony was held.

According to the President’s decrees on the occasion of the Diplomat’s Day, Ambassador Mikayel Minasyan was awarded with the second-class Medal of Services to the Motherland for the significant contribution to strengthening and developing the inter-state relations between Armenia and the Holy See. Head of the office of the Armenian Embassy in the Holy See Mariam Yeremyan was awarded with the Medal of Gratitude for honest and productive work. Philanthropist Smbat Karapetyan was awarded with the Medal of “Mkhitar Heratsi” for humanitarian and charity activities. Senator Aldo Di Biagio, member of the Armenia-Italy parliamentary friendship group of Italy’s Senate, was awarded with the Medal of “Mkhitar Gosh” for the significant contribution to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

English –translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan