The Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia has organized a number of programs for many years, under the auspices of and in association with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of RA. It is worth mentioning that a few months ago the pilgrimage of young Armenians from the different regions of Georgia to the holy sites of Armenia and Artsakh was realized. Remaining faithful to the tradition, the RA Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, from December 5 to 7, conducted “Informational and consulting support to the young Georgian-Armenians; Development of youth cooperation” program. Within the framework of the program, a three-day training course took place at Gyumri, 2016 Youth Capital of the Republic of Armenia.

On December 5, 2016, upon receiving the blessing and good wishes from His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, a group consisting of 25 young Georgian-Armenians, led by the Department Director Valeri Badalyan, headed to Gyumri. Here they were joined by 25 young people from Charentsavan (Kotayk Marz). Charentsavan is proclaimed as the 2017 Youth Capital of the Republic of Armenia.

The aim of program was to provide training, information and consulting support to young people, contribute to Armenia-Diaspora ties, preservation of national identity and youth cooperation development.

Participants were introduced the RA state youth policy, legal acts of the field, Georgian citizenship and integration of Armenian community into Georgian society, main programs of the RA Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs conducted in the state youth policy frameworks, as well as programs aimed at development of interstate and international youth cooperation in the field of youth.

Within the framework of the program, meetings between the young Armenians of Georgia and the representatives of non-governmental youth organizations of Gyumri and Charentsavan were held, during which there was a discussion of youth programs and activities implemented in the communities, steps that must be taken for strengthening the Armenia-Diaspora ties, ways of further development of cooperation and possibility of implementation joint programs and activities.

Participants of the program visited Mher Mkrtchyan Museum, as well as Mariam and Yeranuhi Alsamazyan Sisters’ Gallery.

Young Armenians of Georgia also met the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Shirak, His Grace Bishop Michael Ajapahyan; received a blessing and good wishes from the Primate, learned more about the history of the city with the seven churches and attended Evening Services.

On December 7, on the anniversary of the 1988 Spitak earthquake, the delegation of young Armenians of Georgia, laid flowers at the monument dedicated to the innocent victims of natural disaster and attended the Repose of Souls service.

The Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia expresses its gratefulness and appreciation to the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of RA and the administration of the Youth Activity Center for abiding support and cooperation, as well as Gyumri, 2016 Youth Capital of the Republic of Armenia, for hospitality.

The delegation of the Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia was accompanied by Dn. Gevorg Antonyan, assistant to the Pastor of the Cathedral of Saint George; Nina Seropova, Youth Programs Coordinator; operator and photographer Gevorg Poghosov.