His Holiness Karekin II Receives Ambassador of Germany
On Friday June 7, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received Mr. Hans-Wulf Bartels, newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Armenia.
His Holiness welcomed the Ambassador?s first visit to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, noting that the spiritual and administrative center of the worldwide Armenian Church enjoys warm relations with all of the diplomatic missions registered in Armenia. The German Embassy, in particular, has had very strong ties with Holy Etchmiadzin since the early days of the Armenian Republic.
During the meeting, His Holiness recalled the years of his education and spiritual service in Germany, and noted that he feels a special gratitude towards the German nation and the German people for their kind attitude and behavior towards the Armenian Church. The Catholicos informed Ambassador Bartels that the Mother See presently enjoys close ties with many of the churches, religious organizations and structures in Germany, and that the relationship is progressing well with regards to inter-church, ecumenical, humanitarian and educational spheres.
Ambassador Bartels conveyed his gratitude for the reception, and assured His Holiness that in the course of his diplomatic mission, he would make every effort to visit the Mother See often. He deemed this necessary for the development and fostering of the cooperation between the two states, as well as the Armenian Church and the churches in Germany.
