YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Italy on an official visit on November 20.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the PM’s visit kicked off from Venice city of Italy. The PM visited San Lazzaro Island where the Mekhitarian Congregation is located, a religious and cultural organization with a history of nearly 3 centuries.

The PM toured in the territory of Mekhitarian Congregation, where Pontifical Delegate of the Mekhitarist Congregation, Prelate of the Armenian Catholic Church in Turkey Archbishop Levon Zekian introduced the consequences of the recent days’ flood in Venice. According to him, the ground floors of the building were filled with water, the southern gate has been ruined and some manuscripts and ornamentshave been damaged. The sailboat called “Armenia” collided with a berth, but Mekhitarian Congregation has not suffered serious cultural damages. At the moment, the amount of the damage is being evaluated.

PM Pashinyan expressed solidarity with Mekhitarian Congregation and expressed happiness over the fact that no irreversible loses have occurred. Following the Lord's Prayer PM Pashinyan lit candle and later visited the library of the Congregation and made a note in the “Golden Book”, which runs as follows,

“We have come to express our support to the flood-affected Mekhitarist Congregation, I am happy that no irreversible damage was inflicted. I would also like to express the Armenian people’s appreciation to the Mekhitarist Congregation that it is one of the sources of our modern education, science and arts. At the times when the Armenians’ identity was jeopardized in the Fatherland, the Mekhitarist Congregation became a temple of preservation of our language, history and identity. I bow in front of all the devotees of that mission”.

Afterwards, PM Pashinyan met with Pontifical Delegate of the Mekhitarist Congregation, Prelate of the Armenian Catholic Church in Turkey Archbishop Levon Zekian.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan