Catholicos of All Armenians Received Delegation of Members of the US Congress House of Representatives
20.09.2017
Catholicos of All Armenians Received Delegation of US Congress House of Representatives
On September 20, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; received a delegation of the US Congress House of Representatives. They were accompanied by Ms. Arpine Hovhannsiyan, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and Mr. Grigor Hovhannisyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the US.
Members of the delegation were Congressmen Frank Pallone, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian issues, (D-New Jersey); Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.)
His Holiness expressed joy on the occasion of the visit by the congressmen to Armenia, stressing the importance of such visits in terms of personally communicating the problems and needs of the people of Armenia and Artsakh. His Holiness reflected on the role of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues in the strengthening and development of Armenian-American relations. The Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed his gratitude to the US authorities, as the co-chairing nation of the OSCE Minsk Group; for their consistent efforts to promote a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).
His Holiness informed the congressmen about the outcomes of his September 8th meeting with Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, Grand Mufti of the Muslims of the Caucasus, mediated by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. His Holiness also spoke on the difficult war situation in the Middle East, particularly stressing the resulting difficulties and challenges facing Christian minorities. The Armenian Pontiff conveyed his concern to the US Congressmen in connection with the dramatic decline of Christian communities in the region, as well as reflected on the need to provide constant assistance to the refugees who left their homes due to wars. The Catholicos of All Armenians, touching upon the recognition and condemnation of the process of the Armenian Genocide, highlighted the efforts made in that direction.
The meeting was attended by His Eminence Archbishop Nathan Hovahnnisyan, Director of the External Relations and Protocol Department of Mother See.
