Narek Karapetyan, coordinator of the Our Way initiative, wrote on Facebook about Catholicos Aram I’s message to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, clarifying the purpose of the meeting that took place on October 16.
Karapetyan stated that Aram I informed him personally of his intention to negotiate with Pashinyan to resolve the ongoing pressure against the Armenian Apostolic Church.
“The Church has often sent emissaries to the Persian Shah in the past to negotiate the rights and status of the Armenian people. Aram I told me in our conversation that he will negotiate with Pashinyan, seeking to resolve the campaign of pressure against the Armenian Church,” he wrote.
Karapetyan emphasized that the meeting should not be misinterpreted.
“Therefore, I ask that today’s meeting not be seen otherwise. I am confident these efforts will fail. These people have an agenda and will continue until the Armenian people speak their word,” he added.
On October 16, Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, envoy of Catholicos Aram I, met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan. While the Armenian government emphasized the delivery of greetings and blessings, the Catholicosate of Cilicia noted that Sarkissian also conveyed concerns over the recent arrests of clergy in Armenia.
