Armenia is honouring the 20th anniversary of the Rock Aid Armenia project. On October 1 Ian Gillan together with Tony Iommi, Geoff Downes and the project organizer Jon Dee have arrived in Yerevan to take part in the Armenia Grateful 2 Rock celebrations. On October 2 they were received by the Prime Minister of the country who awarded them with the republic’s Orders of Honour. In addition to Gillan, Iommi, Downes and Dee, Dave Gilmour and Brian May were also decorated with the Order of Honour.

Ritchie Blackmore who also took part in the Rock Aid Armenia was awarded `Honorary Medal of the Prime Minister of Armenia’, along with other participants — Brian Eno, Bryan Adams, Bruce Dickinson, Roger Taylor, Roger Daltrey, Alex Lifeson, Paul Rodgers, Keith Emerson, Chris Squire, tennisist John McEnroe and Brian Eno’s wife/producer/manager Anthea Norman-Taylor.

Thanks to Ara Tadevosyan for the info (www.thehighwaystar.com).