On July 17, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan received participants of the 2^nd Armenian Catholic Press Congress held in Yerevan on July 15-17.

The minister was pleased to mention the fact that the activities of ecclesiastical mass media sponsored by the Armenian Church were presented in the speeches and during the discussions at the three-day Armenian Catholic Press Congress.

Highly appreciating the activities carried out by Supreme Archimandrite Andranik Kranyan in Armenian studies, as well as his spiritual and creative activities and his longstanding merit, the minister mentioned: “By making your tremendous contributions to all these spheres, you’ve also been an editor. I take pride in knowing you and being one of your contemporaries.”

By Decree NH-128-A of RA President Serzh Sargsyan, member of the patriarchal congregation of Zmmar of the Armenian Catholic Church of the House of Cilicia, Supreme Archimandrite Antranig Kranian was granted the Movses Khorenatsi Medal for his outstanding achievements in culture, literature and education.

Expressing gratitude for the state award, Supreme Archimandrite Antranig Kranian wished the RA Ministry of Diaspora success in all its programs and initiatives.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan granted the Gold Medal of the RA Ministry of Diaspora to Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Catholic Church in Armenia, Russia, Georgia and Eastern Europe, Father, Archbishop Rafael Minasyan as a token of appreciation of his great contributions to the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora relations, achievements in educating the youth and providing them with an Armenian upbringing, as well as for his pro-national activities and community service.

“To help the thousands of Syrian-Armenians devastated by the military operations in Syria, you opened the doors of the Armenian Catholic Church to all those in need. You also help the needy in Armenia’s regions, and you do all this with modesty. You are one of the best friends of our ministry and represent one of its pillars,” the RA Minister of Diaspora mentioned.

Expressing gratitude for the high award, Father, Archbishop Rafael Minasyan mentioned that he was accepting the award as great appreciation of the activities carried out by the Armenian Catholic Church.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan also granted the “Ambassador of the Native Language” Medal to U.S.-based Armenologist, Dr. Hrant Atchemyan for his contributions to Armenology, to the preservation and development of the native language, great efforts, as well as his great contributions to providing young Armenians of the Diaspora with an Armenian education and upbringing.

Expressing gratitude for the award, author of 8 books (The Marvelous Force of Armenian Monuments, Tehran; Memoir Dedicated to the Centennial of the Central School, Paris; Khachatur Abovyan and the Renaissance of Eastern Armenian Literature, Antilias and more), Dr. Atchemyan mentioned that this award is also binding to continue working in the field of Armenology with more spirit.

Highly appreciating Lebanese-Armenian public figure, editor and director of Massis magazine Sarkis Najarian’s fruitful activities as a journalist, national and public figure, as well as attaching importance to this role in the development of the Armenia-Diaspora partnership and in the preservation and dissemination of Armenian culture in the Diaspora, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan granted Najarian the William Saroyan Medal of the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

“In 2012, you celebrated the 50^th anniversary of your career as a journalist in Beirut, and part of that 50-year career is included in your large volume entitled “Face-to-Face”. It provides some stories about the interesting meetings that you have had in the Homeland and abroad. I remember that you were the first person to take an interview from me right after the establishment of the RA Ministry of Diaspora,” the RA Minister of Diaspora mentioned.

Expressing gratitude for the award, Mr. Najarian assured: “Dear Mrs. Hakobyan, as I closely follow the activities carried out by the ministry and particularly the “Ari Tun” Program, it’s safe to say that all the programs that you had mentioned in your interview five years ago have been implemented and continue to be implemented. The establishment of the ministry helped us Diaspora Armenians recognize gifted and meritorious Armenians whom we hadn’t known until then. I think this is the greatest summary of all the programs that you have carried out.”

The minister invited all the journalists participating in the 2^nd Armenian Catholic Press Congress to participate in the 7^th Pan-Armenian Forum of Journalists entitled “Armenian Genocide 100: From Recognition to Claims” and suggested watching a video devoted to the programs carried out by the RA Ministry of Diaspora.