On December 4^th, 2014 Mr. Yuri Vardanyan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of RA to Georgia, accompanied by His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, the leader of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, visited Georgia’s Samtskhe-Javakheti region. This was the very first and a study visit of the ambassador to that region, populated by Armenians. The ambassador was accompanied by Anahit Barseghyan, RA Consul in Georgia and Karen Melikyan, the Ambassador’s Counsellor.

In Akhaltsikhe the Ambassador of RA and his delegation was met by Babgen Salibyan, the head of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Tsalka prelacy of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, the Armenian deputies of Akhaltsikhe’s city and regional assemblies, community activists together with members of the local clergy.

Akaki Machutadze, the governor of Samtskhe-Javakheti region, warmly welcomed the Ambassador of RA in regional administration. During the conversation he noted the importance of friendship between Armenia and Georgia, presented the projects envisaged by the government for Javakheti’s sites, populated by Armenians and expressed his willingness to cooperate with the Embassy regarding the cultural and other issues of common interest.

At the meeting, Giorgi Kopadze, the Mayor of Akhaltsikhe, among the presented Akhaltsikhe’s development works, mentioned the construction of the road, leading from Akhaltsikhe to St. Grigor Lusavorich church and Jewish synagogue. The construction is scheduled for completion in 2015.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Mr. Yuri Vardanyan, presented to the governor the most relevant problems of the Armenians of Javakheti. At the end of the meeting, members of the delegation visited St. Grigor Lusavorich church, where they were met by local clergy members, alumni of Akhaltsikhe’s Educational-Cultural Youth Center and by community representatives.

In the church, Babgen Salibyan, the head of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Tsalka prelacy of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, welcomed Mr. Yuri Vardanyan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of RA to Georgia and His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, the leader of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia.

In his return speech, the ambassador mentioned the importance of intercommunication between motherland and Armenian communities and answered the relevant questions.

At the end of the meeting, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary granted Mr. Eduard Ayvazyan, the coordinator at Akhaltsikhe’s Educational-Cultural Youth Center, the certificate of RA Ministry of Diaspora.

After the meetings with the Armenian community of Akhaltsikhe, Akaki Machutadze, the governor of Akhaltsikhe, invited the ambassador and members of the delegation, to visit the Rabat fortress. Guests had a walk along the fortress and participated in the presentation of brochures in Armenian and Georgian, devoted to Akhaltsikhe. The local administration organized there a reception in honor of RA Ambassador in Georgia.

The same day, the delegation made its way to Akhalkalaki, where the representatives of local administration, headed by Samvel Petrosyan, the deputy of Georgia’s general assembly, welcomed Mr. Yuri Vardanyan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of RA to Georgia and His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, the leader of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia, other delegation members, and together they went to the local assembly building.

Here they held a meeting with leaders of local assembly and members of local administration. The meeting was attended by Mr. Hamlet Movsisyan, the president of Akhalkalaki’s local assembly, Mr. Edward Aghasaryan, the head of local administration and by other officials. The participants of the meeting raised the questions regarding the obstacles, faced during the entry to Armenia of the vehicles with Georgian serial numbers; the problem of equal opportunity to access medical examination and treatment in RA; the issue of RA citizens, deprived from Georgian citizenship.

The Ambassador Yuri Vardanyan listened carefully and promised to present those issues to Georgia’s and Armenia’s governmental bodies.

Later, members of the delegation visited Surb Khach (the Holy Cross) Church in Akhalkalaki, where, accompanied by the performance of Vachian village dance ensemble, they met the local clergy members, representatives of Akhalkalaki’s intelligentsia and Armenian community.

After the welcome speech of Babgen Salibyan, the head of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Tsalka prelacy of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Mr. Yuri Vardanyan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, delivered his speech. He expressed his satisfaction and appreciation for the warm welcome organized by the local people and government and for voicing their concerns.

The same evening the delegation, headed by RA ambassador in Georgia, was hosted in Ninotsminda, where they met the local administration, presented by Henzel Mkoyan, the deputy of Georgia’s general assembly.

After the short meeting held in the local administration building, the guests visited 1915 Armenian Genocide memorial and then held a meeting with educational, cultural and sport figures in Raphael Javakh educational-cultural center.

The deputy Henzel Mkoyan and Gagik Karslyan, the head of local administration, attended the above-mentioned meeting. After presenting and greeting guests, Zhora Snikhchyan, the head of cultural department of Ninotsminda and Raphael Javakh educational-cultural center, voiced city’s concerns. Attendants raised issues regarding the replenishment of public libraries with books issued in Armenia and the overcoming the attestation conducted in Javakheti’s local self-government bodies. The ambassador answered the raised questions and promised to follow up their solution.

Mr. Yuri Vardanyan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of RA in Georgia gave books to all educational-cultural centers of Akhaltsikhe, Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda districts of Samtskhe-Javakheti region.

Members of the delegation returned to Tbilisi at midnight, with hearts full of gratitude and readiness to help Armenians of Samtskhe-Javakheti.