Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

His Holiness Karekin II Receives President of France in Holy Etchmia

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • His Holiness Karekin II Receives President of France in Holy Etchmia

    PRESS RELEASE
    Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
    Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
    Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
    Tel:  (374 10) 517 163
    Fax:  (374 10) 517 301
    E-Mail:  [email protected]
    Website:  www.armenianchurch.org
    October 2, 2006

    His Holiness Karekin II Receives President of France in Holy Etchmiadzin

    On Sunday morning, October 1, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
    Catholicos of All Armenians, received His Excellency Jacques Chirac,
    President of the Republic of France and his high-ranking delegation of
    Ministers from the French government.  Accompanying the French President
    were Vartan Oskanian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
    Armenia; Edward Nalbandian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to France;
    and Henry Cuny, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Armenia.
     
    Welcoming President Chirac to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His
    Holiness expressed his joy that the 15th anniversary of independence for the
    Republic of Armenia was highlighted by the visit of the president of France,
    as well as through the events commencing in France this month under the
    auspices of the French Government entitled "The Year of Armenia in France".

    His Holiness Karekin II stated, "Your visit to Armenia and Holy Etchmiadzin
    is a fitting testimony to the centuries of friendship between our two
    nations.  From the center of Armenian spiritual life and on behalf of our
    Nation and our Church, we express our gratitude to you and to the people of
    France for the support and assistance they have provided to our newly
    independent country, to our homeland, and to our people throughout the last
    century.

    "We recall with gratitude that France graciously accepted the children of
    our nation who survived the tragedy of genocide, and today, due to the
    caring and kind attitude of the French authorities, the Armenians enjoy the
    full benefits of being French citizens, while living their national and
    spiritual lives to the fullest."

    The Pontiff of All Armenians also extended his appreciation to the
    authorities of France for their legal recognition and strong condemnation of
    the Genocide of the Armenians.  His Holiness appropriately noted that this
    recognition was among the first in the world, and that it brought justice
    not only for the Armenian victims, survivors and their descendants, but also
    to all of mankind.

    President Chirac, expressing his joy on the occasion of his visit to the
    headquarters of the worldwide Armenian Church, thanked His Holiness for the
    warm reception and offered his respects to the Armenian Church and the
    Armenian Pontiff.  "We are happy to be in the place where Christianity was
    officially established for the Armenian people.  Due to the tides of
    history, there are many people in France of Armenian descent and origin. 
    This has contributed greatly to the long-standing friendship enjoyed between
    the French and Armenian peoples and our two countries", stated the French
    president.

    Referring to the Armenian Genocide, President Chirac noted in part: "It's
    only natural that France was to be one of the first countries to recognize
    the Armenian Genocide by law... I hope that by recognizing and condemning
    such crimes, they will never happen again in future."

    Among other topics discussed by His Holiness and President Chirac were the
    increasing economic and political cooperation between the two states, the
    growing sphere of cultural relations between the two countries, and the
    important role of France in the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabagh
    conflict.  President Chirac affirmed that as one of the co-chairs of the
    OSCE Minsk group, France will continue to support the resolution of the
    issue within the frameworks of the established working process.

    At the conclusion of the meeting, His Holiness Karekin II and President
    Jacques Chirac visited the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin and the
    Museum of the Cathedral.

    His Eminence Archbishop Kude Nakkashian, Pontifical Legate of Western Europe
    and Primate of the Diocese of Paris; His Grace Bishop Arshak Khachatrian,
    Chancellor of the Mother See; and members of the Brotherhood of Holy
    Etchmiadzin also attended the meeting.

    ##


    --Boundary_(ID_6mMyz2V32iypV3aEdEzK 7g)--

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Working...
X