On July 22, 2016, the grand opening ceremony of the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival was marked with the launch of the Days of Armenian Dance at Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet. The festival was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Armenia. Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan presented the welcoming address of the President of the Republic of Armenia, which highlighted the role of the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival in reinforcing the relations between Armenia and the Diaspora, the preservation of national identity and the development of Armenian culture.

From July 11 to 21, 2016, twenty six young boy and girl activists from the Youth Department of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia (Director, Valery Badalyan), under the leadership of Suren Abramyan, Choreographer of the Taron Dance Group of the Hayartun Center, spent their summer vacation in the scout camp, located near the Lermontov village in the Lori region in Armenia. 150 boy and girl scouts from the USA, Iran, Iraq, Dubai and Georgia participated in the scout camp organized within the framework of the AGBU youth projects. The scout camp was launched on July 13. At the opening ceremony of the Antranik Scout Camp the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, His Grace Archbishop Sebouh Chouldjian blessed the young people.

On July 26, 2016, the Calouste Gulbenkian Hall of the Hayartun Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia hosted a semi-annual summary meeting, providing an overview of works undertaken by the diocesan staff, departments, cultural, educational and youth centers.

On July 25, 2016, through the initiative of Georgia’s State Agency for Religious Issues, the conference hall of Tbilisi Cortyard Mariott Hotel hosted the conference entitled “Interreligious Dialogue for Peace”. In attendance were the representatives of ten religious communities of Georgia, the Georgian MPs and members of the Government, representatives of diplomatic corps, and representatives of higher educational institutions cooperating with State Agency for Religious Issues.