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

8 June 2007

ARCHBISHOP RETURNS FROM THIRD REGIONAL INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

Sydney, Australia – At the invitation of Australia’s Foreign Affairs
Minister, the Hon Alexander Downer MP, His Eminence Archbishop Aghan
Baliozian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and
New Zealand attended "Building Bridges: The Third Asia-Pacific Regional
Interfaith Dialogue" in Waitangi, New Zealand from 29-31 May, as a member of
the Australian delegation.

The concept of the Regional Interfaith Dialogue was co-founded by Australia
and Indonesia in 2004 with the commitment to foster mutual respect,
understanding and tolerance among different religions and cultures across
the Asia-Pacific region. The Dialogue involves faith and community leaders
and interfaith experts from each ASEAN country.

On the first day of the conference, Tuesday, 29th May the Australian
delegation met with Mr Downer for breakfast before assembling with the other
overseas delegates for the "Powhiri" which is the traditional Maori welcome
ceremony for guests. The official opening ceremony which followed
mid-morning was addressed by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt. Hon.
Helen Clark, as well as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines
and the Foreign Ministers of New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia.

Following a Leaders’ press conference, prayer ceremony and official
photograph, the first plenary session got underway reviewing the highlights
and themes that had arisen on national interfaith activities in the
different countries as a result of the previous Dialogue held in Cebu,
Philippines in 2006. Plenary sessions and workshops were held over the next
two days exploring issues of achieving security in the region, building
bridges between diverse groups and public education.

The final plenary session took place on the morning of Thursday, 31st May
with the endorsement of the drafted Waitangi Declaration. With the
conclusion of the Dialogue, the delegates began on their return journey
home. However, His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian retreated to
Auckland to begin his five day pastoral visit with the Armenian Community of
New Zealand.