His Holiness Karekin II Receives Speaker of the National Assembly of Nagorno Karabagh
26.11.2003
On November 22, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received Oleg Yessayan, Speaker of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Nagorno Karabagh and his delegation. Tigran Torossian, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, accompanied the delegation of members of parliament.
"We are very glad to receive you in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and to assure you of the continued support of the Church. We always remember the land and people of Artsakh in our prayers, and ask God to preserve and protect the entire Armenian Nation: Armenia, Artsakh with her heroic citizens, and our people dispersed throughout the world", said His Holiness as he welcomed the guests. The Catholicos of All Armenians noted that he has observed with satisfaction as the cooperation and collaboration between the National Assemblies of Armenia and Artsakh have progressed. His Holiness also accorded great importance to the attitude of the state authorities of Karabagh towards the Armenian Church, specifically, the Diocese of Artsakh. The Catholicos gladly referred to the new Cathedral being built in Stepanakert, the capital of the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh, in the center of the city.
Mr. Yessayan expressed gratitude for the reception and provided details regarding the results of the delegation's visit to Armenia. The Pontiff of All Armenians expressed his desire to see a strengthening of inter-parliamentary ties between the two National Assemblies.
