Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan hosted His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.
At their first meeting with Serzh Sargsyan held after his assuming the office of Prime Minister of Armenia, the Supreme Patriarch and the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia first offered their congratulations to the Prime Minister, wishing him fortitude, strength, patience and endurance.
The interlocutors touched upon the mass protests, rallies, marches underway in the country, and expressed their concerns over the current situation. Admitting that there may be complaints, demands and concerns inside any country, the two Heads of Church highlighted the need for holding the protests in an exclusively civilized manner, respecting the constitutional order and laws of the State. The Catholicos of All Armenians and the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia expressed satisfaction and appreciation at the fact that no force had been used throughout the process.
“We are praying that the situation calms down so that people could be back to creative work aimed at strengthening the security of our country. Yes, people are facing difficulties in their daily lives, but there are also many threats and challenges that we can only defy through cohesion and unity.
We are on the eve of April 24, the Day of Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. The meaning of that day should be borne in the minds and perceptions of all Armenians; it should lead our way so that we could spare the country new tragedies and losses.
We have Artsakh, we have young people serving on the borders of our homeland, whose security, we know, Mr. Prime Minister, is a matter of constant concern for you. We share your concerns in this regard. May God save us, keep our people in love and peace. This is our wish, this is our prayer,” the Catholicos of All Armenians said.
Noting that he shared the concerns of His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia emphasized that fostering an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty involving the youth and teenagers can be harmful for both our people and Armenia’s image outside the country.
“After all, the consequences of these rallies or their implications may last for months, which can be harmful for the country. We have to tell the demonstrators that this is the homeland of all of us; we are the children of our homeland and we are a family. Problems and questions may arise, but we need to sit down and discuss them in the spirit of mutual understanding, not in the street.
Compromise should be sought together. This is what it should be. Continuing in this manner and in such a way is harmful to our homeland.
Consequently, I am glad that you, too, Mr. Prime Minister, have called on the sides to come together and discuss issues at the table of negotiations that should be led by the President and yourself. Otherwise, Homeland, Artsakh and our people will suffer losses if things keep going this way.
It is time to come together because we are besieged by non-friendly forces. There are, of course, questions, but we should talk about these issues with mutual love and respect. This is what we wanted to convey to you, Mr. Prime Minister,” the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia said.