On July 2, Armenians from Hamshen, the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America arrived in Akhaltskha where they participated in several events, writes akhaltskha.net. Near the Bavra border checkpoint, General Arshaluys Paytyan and Member of Glendale City Council Zareh Sinanyan were greeted by several representatives of Akhaltskha and Akhalkalak. On the road, at the invitation of Samvel Petrosyan, the guests visited Varevan village to participate in the event dedicated to the day commemorating Petros Abajan, who died in the battle for the liberation of Artsakh.

The guests traveled from Akhalkalak to the Gregory the Illuminator Church in Akhaltskha where they were greeted with salt and bread by Head of the Media Analysis Center of Samtskhe-Javakhk Eduard Ayvazyan; spiritual superintendent of Akhaltskha, Fr. Friar Hakob Sahakyan and Deputy of Georgia Giorgy Kopadze. At the Gregory the Illuminator Church, spiritual superintendent of Akhaltskha, Fr. Friar Hakob Sahakyan granted certificates to Member of Glendale City Council Zareh Sinanyan and representative of the Armenian community of Washington DC, Director of Policy Forum Armenia Center Davit Grigoryan, after which the guests and the Armenians of Akhaltskha visited the St. Nshan Church where they were introduced to the history of the Church and its current status.

After the visit to the St. Nshan Church, the delegation climbed to the Armenian Genocide Memorial where Zareh Sinanyan and Deputy Giorgy Kopadze laid a wreath in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Afterwards, the guests visited the Armenian cemetery in Akhaltskha where Zareh Sinanyan and Giorgy Kopadze laid wreaths near the crypt of His Holiness Karapet Bagatuni. Later, the guests climbed to the monument commemorating the heroes of the self-defense of Akhaltskha in 1918. At the monument, Deputy Giorgy Kopadze and Zareh Sinanyan laid wreaths commemorating the heroes on behalf of General Paytyan and Sinanyan.

At the end, the delegation visited the monument to the April 9 victims at the central park in Akhaltskha where the delegates also laid a wreath in memory of the innocent Georgian victims.

The event ended with a dinner dance at the Rabati Citadel. Several events will also be held in Akhaltskha on July 2.

The idea of organizing the visit of the guests from Hamshen, the USA and Armenia to Akhaltskha was the idea of freedom fighter of the Artsakh war Eduard Enfiajyan, who is from Akhaltskha and currently lives in Los Angeles, California.