On March 6, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan moderated a discussion on the organizing of the international conference on “Mission of Armenian Clergymen of the Near East during the years of the Armenian Genocide”. Among the participants were Director of the Christian Education Center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Grace, Father, Bishop Vardan Navasardyan; Press and Publishing Correspondent for the Armenian Missionary Association of America Andranik Mardoyan; Director of Mekhitarist Educational Complex of Avan, Father, Archimandrite Serob Chamurlyan, as well as Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS) Ruben Safrastyan and Director of Noravank Scientific-Educational Foundation Gagik Harutyunyan.

It was decided to host the conference at the hall of the Gevorgyan Spiritual Lyceum of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

The Minister of Diaspora proposed to compile the speeches for the conference and print them in a booklet that would help appreciate the pro-national activities that Armenian clergymen of the Near East carried out during the years of the Armenian Genocide.

The conference will be held on April 6^th under the patronage of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, at the initiative of the RA Ministry of Diaspora and the NAS Institute of Oriental Studies and with the support of Noravank Scientific-Educational Foundation, the Armenian Missionary Association of America and the Armenian Catholic Church.

It should be mentioned that the conference is being held ahead of the canonization of the victims of the Armenian Genocide and the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, and that will make the representative meeting more significant.