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PRESS RELEASE

Monday, June 23, 2008

AGBU President Participates in Visit of Armenian Catholicos’ Vatican
Visit

>From May 6 – 12, 2008, and at the invitation of Roman Catholic Pope
Benedict XVI, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, made
his first official visit to Rome since the Catholic Pope’s election in
2005. He was accompanied by Armenian Apostolic archbishops from around
the world, AGBU President Berge Setrakian and major benefactors for the
Holy See of Etchmiadzin. The visit to Italy was composed of three parts:
a four-day visit to the Vatican, a one-day visit to the Armenian
community of Milan and a two-day visit to the Mekhitarian Congregation
on the Island of San Lazzaro in Venice.

In addition to the official events throughout the course of the week,
His Holiness and the church hierarchs also visited a number of Armenian
and Catholic churches and shrines. His Holiness and the high-ranking
clergymen departed Rome for Milan on Saturday, May 10, 2008.

Accompanying AGBU President Berge Setrakian to the Vatican were AGBU
Trustee Karnig Yacoubian, AGBU Central Board Members Sinan Sinanian and
Sam Simonian, as well as leading members of AGBU Milan.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with an
annual budget of $34 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian
identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian
programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians on six continents.