President Serzh Sargsyan received today His Holiness, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II and the Armenian-French national and public figure, publicist, historian, benefactor Hovahnnes Chilinkirian. These days, through his great devotion and years-long efforts in the Holy See of Echmiadzin there opened the museum named after the renowned Armenian intellectual, a martyr who perished in Mets Eghern Rouben Sevak.
The President of Armenia thanked Hovhannes Chilinkirian for bringing to life in Motherland such an important initiative, hailed his efforts aimed at the preservation of the Armenian identity and awarded him with one of the highest awards of the Republic of Armenia – the Order of Honor.

Underscoring that opening of this wonderful cultural center at the Holy See of Echmiadzin has been Hovhannes Chilinkirian’s cherished dream for many years, His Holiness expressed hope that the unique and precious collection donated to the museum by the benefactor, which shows in his best the great intellectual Rouben Sevak, who shared the tragic fate of his people and became a martyr for the Armenians’ sacred faith will be very useful and interesting for all visitors of the museum.

The national and public figure, benefactor Hovhannes Chilinkirian expressed thanks to President Serzh Sargsyan for the high award and to His Holiness for assisting and supporting him in fulfilling in Motherland his almost fifty-year long dream.

 President Serzh Sargsyan visited today the Ministry of Agriculture. The President toured the premise, in different departments conversed with the employees about their programs, existing problems, listened to the proposed ways to solve them and the employees’ expert opinion and ideas regarding the development of the area of agriculture.

Afterwards, the President of Armenia in the conference hall of the Ministry held a meeting with the senior staff of the Ministry. The Minister of Agriculture Sergo Karapetian, Deputy Ministers Samvel Galstian, Garnik Petrossian, Robert Makarian, Head of the State Service for Food Safety Abram Bakhchagulian, Chief of Staff Artashes Kirakossian, and Director of the Armenian Fruit Ltd. Alvina Avagian reported on the programs implemented in different sectors of agriculture, including on the process of reforms. They also presented problems and challenges existing in the area, as well as prospects of development.

The President directed questions to the reporters, Heads of the Departments and Divisions. Serzh Sargsyan underscored that there is still unemployed potential in the area of agriculture, opportunities and prospects for development, which means that the Ministry has large-scale works to do. Discussed were also issues related to the procurement at this stage of harvesting, current procurement indicators, cooperation with the processing companies, export of agricultural produce and other issues.

Serzh Sargsyan responded to the questions raised by the attendees which pertained not only to the area of agriculture but also to the internal and foreign policies of our country, social and economic problems.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Serzh Sargsyan handed to Karine Esayan, Head the Horticulture and Plant Protection Section of the Vegetation and Plant Protection Department of the Ministry, Heriqnaz Lemberian, Head of the Agricultural Programming Section of the Agricultural Development Programs Department, Hrachia Tspnetsian, Head of the Agricultural Development Programs Department, and Donara Simonian, Head of the Human Resources Department the Commendation Letters of the President of Armenia for their years-long and diligent work.