Below is an excerpted press release of the issued by the presidential office.

During his visit to the Vatican, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan attended the unveiling of a statue dedicated to St. Gregory of Narek.

The statue was unveiled by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Holy See Mikayel Minasyan.

The nearly two-meter-high bronze statue was assembled in the Czech Republic. It was sculpted by People’s Artist of Armenia, David Yerevantsi.

After the unveiling of the statue in the Vatican Gardens, an ecumenical ceremony was held, attended by His Holiness Pope Francis, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

The President of Armenia then visited the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Holy See where an awards ceremony was held. Under presidential decrees, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Holy See Mikayel Minasyan was awarded the 2nd Degree Medal For Services to the Motherland for his contribution to the strengthening and development of interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Holy See; Head of the Office of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Holy See Mariam Yeremyan was awarded the the Gratitude Medal; philanthropist Smbat Karapetyan was awarded the Mkhitar Heratsi Medal for tireless charitable and humanitarian activities; Italian Senate’s Armenia-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group member, Senator Aldo Di Biagio was awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal for his valuable contribution to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

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