ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AWARDS "KILIKIA" CREW

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 26 2006

YEREVAN, September 26. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
awarded medals to the crew of the "Kilikia" sailer, which is back
to Armenia from its voyage according to the sea route of Armenian
merchants of the 13th century.

The RA presidential press service reports that President Kocharyan
thanked the crew members for excellent realization of a daring idea
of a three-year sea voyage.

In their turn, the "Kilikia" crew members handed over to the President
the three-color flag that was flying at the mast of the sailer. The
President also received a souvenir, a model of the sailer.

The "Kilikia" crew members informed the President of their voyage,
telling about the hospitality of the Armenian Diaspora and about the
interest shown in Armenia in foreign countries.

President Kocharyan and the "Kilikia" crew discussed the issue of
the last haven for the sailer.

On September 23, 2006, the RA President issued decrees awarding Medals
for Services to Fatherland, First Class, to the Commissioner of the
expedition Zory Balayan, Captain Karen Balayan and Advisor-Captain
Samvel Karapetyan.

Medals for Courage were awarded to the operator-sailor Samvel Balayan,
Assistant Captain Areg Nazaryan, shift supervisors Hayk Badalyan and
Armen Nazaryan, and to the cook Samvel Sargsyan.

In 2004-2006, the "Kilikia" sailer, which was constructed according
to the pattern of Armenian sailers of the Middle Ages, for the first
time made a voyage according to the route of Armenian merchants,
who maintained close trade ties with European market towns in the
13th century.

During two years, the sailer visited 64 ports in 26 European and
Mediterranean countries. The "Kilikia" sailer was constructed with
the use of materials used in the 13th century. The builders, "Hayas"
club of sea research, spent 11 years on the construction (May 1991
to May 2001). During the following two years the sailer was tested
on Lake Sevan. "Kilikia" is currently in Yerevan, and later it will
be delivered to Sevan and remodeled into a museum.

The sailer was named after a legendary Armenian kingdom of Kilikia
on the Mediterranean coat. The kingdom existed for 400 centuries.