On March 24, 2017, the RA Ministry of Diaspora held a teleconference with representatives of the Alexander Mantashyants Educational-Cultural and Youth Center in Batumi. The objective of the structure that unites Armenians dispersed around the world was through direct communication to learn more about the activities of the Armenian community of Adjara, particularly the Armenian community of Batumi, the current pressing issues concerning the community and goals for the future.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan offered welcoming remarks to the community officials, parish council members, the Alexander Mantashyants Center’s teaching staff, presented the programs and projects of the Ministry, stated that the Ministry was expecting more active participation of the Armenian community of Batumi this year.

Among the participants from Batumi was Consul General of the Republic of Armenia in Batumi Yeghishe Sargsyan.

Rev. Father Ararat Gumbalyan, Pastor of the Surb Prkich Church (Saint Savior) in Batumi and of Armenian community in Adjara, Guria and Imereti; transmitted to the attendees the blessings from His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. Father Ararat presented the community of 10, 000 Armenians, highlighted the spiritual, homiletic, educational activities of the Armenian Church, which set the objective to unite Armenians around the Surb Prkich Church (Saint Savior) and to consolidate their activities.

Director of the Alexander Mantashyants Educational-Cultural and Youth Center Sona Hovhannisyan briefed on the activities of the Center aimed at preservation of the Armenian language, patriotic upbringing of the young generation; she extended words of appreciation to the Center’s teachers for their dedicated efforts addressed to the preservation of the national identity outside Armenia.

During the teleconference, the representatives of the Armenian community of Batumi expressed gratitude to the RA Ministry of Diaspora for the provided support, annual teacher training courses, the “Ari Tun” Program, “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival. The current issues in culture, education, Armenian upbringing and the preservation of national identity were discussed.

The RA Ministry of Diaspora, represented by RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, promised to support the Armenian community in the issues regarding the preservation of the national identity. An agreement was reached on providing more young Armenians of Batumi to participate in the youth programs.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the attendees suggested to organize similar teleconferences on a regular basis in order to contribute to strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora cooperation.