PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9904-8446
Email: armenian@idx.com.au

12 March 2005

PRIMATE RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA TO A HIGH-PACED SCHEDULE

Primate of the Diocese of Australia & New Zealand, His Eminence Archbishop
Aghan Baliozian no sooner returned from Geneva, Switzerland after having
participated in the World Council of Churches Central Committee meetings as
representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Holy See of
Etchmiadzin that he launched into a busy schedule of meetings and pastoral
visits in Australia.

>>From 3-4 March, the Archbishop partook in the meeting of the Executive
Committee of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) that was
held in the nation’s capital, Canberra. At the meeting, his Eminence was
elected as a member of the Standing Committee that will act between
Executive Committee meetings as necessary. The meeting also resolved that
the NCCA will propose to member churches to mark April 24 as a day of
remembrance and commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide

On 3 March, the Archbishop made an official visit to the Syrian Embassy in
Canberra and congratulated the newly appointed Ambassador to Australia, His
Excellency Mr Tamman Suliman who until recently held the post of Charge d’
Affaires. On 4 March, His Eminence visited the Embassy of Lebanon in
Australia and expressed his condolences on behalf of the Armenian Community
of Australia at the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Mr
Rafik Harire. On both occasions, His Eminence was a dinner guest of the
respective Ambassadors.

>>From 5-8 March, the small parish community of Perth in Western Australia
welcomed Archbishop Aghan on a 3-day pastoral visit. His Eminence
celebrated mass with the congregation on Sunday, 6 March and performed a
marriage sacrament and two baptisms. During his short visit, the Archbishop
made the most of every opportunity to meet with community members more
closely. He returned to his residence in Sydney on 8 March.

Perth is located on the far south-western coast of Australia surrounded by
the waters of the Indian Ocean and is about a 5-hour flight from Sydney.
The Armenian Community of Perth has reduced considerably over the years and
according to current estimates numbers around 100.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress