On the 16^th of July, 2013 in Georgian Tserovani settlement, within the framework of Youth Leadership Training Program, a four-day camp was started. During thedaysspent inthe camp 36 young people from theArmenian-populatedregions andvillagesof Georgiawill undergotraining for youngleaders of community.Theywill hear lectureson the following topics: the history of the Armenian people andthe Armenian Church,Armenianhistorical andculturalmonuments inTbilisi,the rights of ethnicand religious minorities, civil society and local government.There will also be training onthe development of localcultural life.

The youth department of the “Hayartun” Cultural Center at the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia initiated the program, with financial assistance from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, RA Ministry of Diaspora and theCalouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

The AmbassadorExtraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Georgia Hovhannes Manoukian, the Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, Head of the Tolerance Centreat the Public Defender's Office, Beka Mindiashvili, the spiritual shepherd of Armenians in Marneuli and nearby villages Priest Movses Ashuryan, the spiritual shepherd of Armenians in Tsalka and nearby villages Priest Movses Manukyan, Counselorof RA Embassy to GeorgiaArtak Kalachyan, management representativesand officials of the “Hayartun” Cultural Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia attended the grand opening of the program.

After Our Father Prayer the spiritual supervisor and the head of youth department at the “Hayartun” Center Deacon Gevorg Antonyan opened the program. He presented to the audience the purpose of the program and the significance of camp life in its implementation.

The AmbassadorExtraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Georgia Hovhannes Manoukian, welcoming theyoung peopleand the audience, assessed the importance ofthis program launchingand expressedthe hopethat it will becontinuous, as it aimsto consolidatethe potentialin the Armenianregionsand here and thererevives theactivities, aimed atthe preservation of nationalidentity. The Ambassador Hovhannes Manoukian mentionedthe Armenian-Georgian relations, the potentialcontributionof a large communityof Georgiato the preservationand strengtheningof the Armeniannational identity inGeorgia.

The Coordinator of the “Hayartun” Cultural Center of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, Levon Chidilyan, Press Speaker of the Diocese Susanna Khachaturian, the Head of the Legal Department of the Diocese Levon Isakhanyan and others welcomed the launching of the program and wished the young people productive leisure and new energy in community life activities.

Beka Mindiashvili, Head of the Tolerance Centreat the Public Defender's Office, read a lecture on "The Role of the Public Defenderin the Protection ofthe Rights of Ethnicand Religious Minoritiesin Georgia". Hespoke in detailaboutthe rights of ethnicand religious minorities, highlighting the activities ofthe twocouncils atthe Public Defender's Office,which represent105national minority organizationsand 24religiousassociations. After the lecturethe young peopleraisedquestions.

The Head of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan sent his blessing to the four-day work of camp in Tserovani, within the framework of Youth Leadership Training Program. He deeply appreciatedthe goal of the program– the revivalof cultural lifein the Armenian-populatedregions, integration into Georgian society, training program foryoung leaders, aimed at the raisingfull citizens ofthis country and decent childrenof their fatherlandand of the HolyEtchmiadzin. Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan expressed his gratitude to the sponsors, organizers and everyone, whoprovided support forthe implementationof the program.

During the days spent in the camp the Armenian youth will meet Georgian MP Ruslan Poghosian, Georgia`s State Ministerfor Reintegration IssuesPaataZakareishvili, Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia Tamar Kintsurashvili. The training lectures will run until July 19 inclusive.