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His Holiness Karekin II Receives Turkish Intellectuals

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  • His Holiness Karekin II Receives Turkish Intellectuals

    PRESS RELEASE
    Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
    Address: Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
    Contact: Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
    Tel: (374 1) 517 163
    Fax: (374 1) 517 301
    E-Mail: [email protected]
    December 9, 2004

    His Holiness Karekin II Receives Turkish Intellectuals

    On December 8, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
    All Armenians, received a group of 30 Turkish scientists, journalists,
    authors and intellectuals in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The
    delegation from Turkey were members of the "Eastern Assembly Initiative" who
    are in Armenia accompanied by Hagop Dink and Ara Kochounian, editors of the
    Istanbul-based "Agos" and "Jamanak" newspapers respectively.

    Mr. Dink introduced the delegation to His Holiness and expressed the
    gratitude of the group for the audience. He noted that the intention of the
    participants was to become better acquainted with their neighboring country
    and people, and their cultural, economic, political and religious life.

    The Catholicos of All Armenians welcomed the guests and greeted the
    initiative stating, "An important mission is reserved for intellectuals in
    the spheres of education and instruction, in the internal national and
    public life of each country, as well as in the formation of mutual
    relationships between countries and peoples, and in their progress and
    development."

    During the meeting, in response to questions from the Turkish delegation,
    His Holiness presented the mission of the Armenian Church throughout the
    world, focusing on the difficulties during the Soviet years, and the new
    opportunities and challenges in the present day of Armenian independent
    statehood. Special mention was made by His Holiness of the pan-national
    nature of Armenian life and the work of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
    in inter-church and inter-faith ties.

    With regards to the current state of Armenia-Turkey relations, His Holiness
    specifically emphasized the Armenian Genocide, and stressed that the
    genocide is a historical fact which cannot be a point of debate.

    Regarding international conflicts in the region, as well as in the Middle
    East, the Pontiff of All Armenians underscored the necessity of not
    attributing a religious nature or religious grounds to these disputes. His
    Holiness stated that an excellent path to resolving and settling these
    conflicts would be through inter-faith dialogue.

    Concluding his remarks, His Holiness Karekin II extended his best wishes for
    the success of the mission of the "Eastern Assembly Initiative". Present
    for the meeting were His Eminence Archbishop Grigoris Buniatian, primate of
    the Armenian Diocese of the Ukraine, and His Grace Bishop Arshak
    Khatchatrian, Chancellor of the Mother See.
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