Epress.am News from Armenia
The Armenia, which had sailed from Egypt to Lebanon on Aug. 6, officially concluding the round-the-world journey it begun on May 28, 2009, set sail for Cyprus on Aug. 10.
The Armenia was seen off by RA Ambassador to Lebanon Ashot Kocharyan, Primate of the Lebanon Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Kegham Khatcherian, leaders of Armenian organizations, participants of the Pan-Armenian Games and hundreds of Lebanese Armenians, according to a RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement.
In Lebanon, the Armenian ambassador and Archbishop Kegham Khatcherian noted in their remarks that the vessel fulfilled its historic mission, “to relay the symbols of the Armenian nation’s rich history to our compatriots located in different continents,” reads the statement.
The ship is dedicated to Saint Mesrob Mashtots (who created the Armenian alphabet in 405 AD) and the 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia (301 AD), while its arrival in Cyprus coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia. The ship is adorned with the 38 letters of the Armenian alphabet, the Armenian cross and the Armenian symbol of eternity.