ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO ATTEND POPE’S FUNERAL

   YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS: An Armenian delegation headed by
prime minister Andranik Margarian will leave for Vatican on April 7
to attend the funeral of the deceased Pope John Paul II. The Armenian
delegation will include Armenian ambassador to Italy Ruben Shugarian,
ambassador to France and Vatican Eduard Nalbandian, deputy foreign
minister Armen Bayburdian and Catholicos Karekin II.
   John Paul II was the first head of the Roman Catholic Church to
set foot on Armenian soil . He spent three days in Armenia in late
September 2001 that coincided with official celebrations of Armenia’s
conversion to Christianity in 301 A.D. John Paul II visited o the
genocide memorial in Yerevan to pay respects to the victims of 1915
massacres of Armenians in Turkey.
   In a joint communique with Karekin II issued in the Vatican in
November 2000 the Pope had described the 1915 tragedy a genocide. He
confirmed this by another joint statement in Yerevan during his
visit.

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