On the morning of June 19, 2016, French Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development, The Honorable Mr. Jean-Marc Ayrault, along with his wife, Mrs. Brigitte Terrien Ayrault and His Excellency Mr. Richard Olivier, the Ambassador of France to Myanmar and other foreign dignitaries and diplomats, accompanied by representatives of the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, as well as the Founder and Chairman of the Yangon Heritage Trust, Dr. Thant Myint-U, honored the Armenian Community with their visit to St. John the Baptist Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of Yangon, which is the oldest existing Church in the city, built even before the Burma Railways Company building was originally constructed.

 This is what Pastor of Singapore, Myanmar and Dakka (Bangladesh), Representative of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in the Far East, Friar Zaven Yazichyan told Hayern Aysor.

The Honorable Mr. Jean-Marc Ayrault’s visit was just the second ever visit by a French Foreign Minister to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the first since the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, the Honorable Mr. Alain Marie Juppè’s earlier trip in January 2012.

 The delegation was received at St. John the Baptist Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of Yangon by Very Rev. Fr. Zaven Yazichyan, the Representative of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians to the Far East and the newly appointed Pastor of the Spiritual Pastorates of Myanmar, Singapore and Bangladesh and the Myanmar Armenian Community members.

Impressed by the beauty and loveliness of the Church and its interiors, they extended their warm and generous thanks to Very Rev. Fr. Zaven Yazichyan, who spoke to them about the long history of friendship between France and Armenia. He narrated to them the arrival of the first Armenians on French soil in the Early Middle Ages when an Armenian bishop named Simon is said to have met Saint Gregory of Tours in the city of Tours. The Armenian Royal dynasty, the House of Lusignan was of French origin and, in fact, its last king Léon de Lusignan was buried in Saint Denis Basilica. He was in fact the only foreigner to be buried there alongside notable French kings such as Charles Martel, Louis XIV and many others. Furthermore, Very Rev. Fr. Zaven Yazichyan mentioned how kind, generous, compassionate and humanitarian it was that during the historical tragedy, the Armenian Genocide of 1915, towards the beginning of the 20th century, the French welcomed tens of thousands of Armenians into their country, which was a safe sanctuary for them.

 Very Rev. Fr. Zaven Yazichyan also spoke about the rich history of the Armenians in Myanmar. Unfortunately, many historical records relating to the community were lost during World War II. Nevertheless, the Armenian cemeteries in Mandalay and Syriam indicate that Armenians first came to Myanmar in the 1600′s from New Julfa and Isfahan in Iran, as merchants.

 Many major Armenian traders were employed as high ranking officials by the Kings of Burma and they were in charge of customs and relations with foreigners. Saint John the Baptist Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church of Yangon was erected by the hugely successful and prosperous Armenian Community of Myanmar in 1862. The Church was formally consecrated on 17th July 1863.

In 1901, the legendary Sarkies Brothers, best known for founding a chain of hotels throughout Southeast Asia, opened the famous Strand Hotel in Yangon, which is functioning till today. Another famous Armenian in Myanmar was Diana Abgar, an Armenian writer, diplomat, and the Ambassador to Japan of the short-lived First Republic of Armenia in 1918-1920.

 The delegation was briefed about the glorious chapter being inaugurated with the Pontifical Visit of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in October, 2014. This was the first Pontifical Visit of His Holiness the Catholicos to Myanmar, which was organized through the efforts of the Armenian community representatives of the Far East, Armenian benefactors and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.

 It was mentioned that it is indeed a chain of significant events when in a week’s time Pope Francis will visit the Republic the Armenia; “the first among the Nations to receive the Gospel of Jesus.”

 At the end of the visit, Very Rev. Fr. Zaven Yazichyan handed over on behalf of the Armenian Community presents to The Honorable Mr. Jean-Marc Ayrault and His Excellency Mr. Richard Olivier, after which the delegation proceeded towards the Yangon Heritage Trust office.