Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On March 19, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; hosted the participants of the round-table discussion held on March 18, with a group of leading professionals from the Institute of History NAS RA, the Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan and the Russian Federation; on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the agreement signed on March 16, in 1921, in Moscow. They were accompanied by Academician of NAS RA, Doctor of Sciences, Professor Ashot Melkonyan, Director of the Institute of History; and Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Rouben Mirzakhanyan, Rector of ASPU. At the meeting, Mr. Rouben Mirzakhanyan, introduced the specialists who arrived in Armenia on the occasion of the discussion to His Holiness, and provided information about the results of the round table discussion. Participant of the discussion, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of “International Analytics”, Ph.D. in history Sergey Markedonov, emphasized the usefulness of the initiative in this difficult period for Armenia and Artsakh; also reflecting on the consequences of the War of Artsakh, and the existing challenges in the region. Then, the Pontiff of All Armenians conveyed his Blessings and best wishes to the attendees, expressing gratitude for the organization of this important initiative. His Holiness conveyed his appreciation to the Heads of the Scientific-educational Institutions and the participating experts, emphasizing the need of the joint discussion of such historical events, which contributes to closer relations and cooperation between the two friendly peoples. Reflecting on the second War of Artsakh, His Holiness presented the damages caused; spoke about the pain of the loss of the Homeland, the existing challenges, as well as the reaction of the international community. In this regard, the Armenian Pontiff expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the Russian authorities to stop the hostilities and restore the peace in the region; noting the need of the resumption of the negotiation process for solving the existing problems related to Artsakh. His Holiness also informed, that due to the efforts of the Russian President Vladimir Putin; and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; it became possible to ensure the safety of the spiritual life and worshiping in Dadivank Monastery, as well as, the security of the Monasteries on the borders. The Armenian Patriarch made a special reference to the strategy adopted by the Azerbaijani authorities towards the Armenian historical, cultural and spiritual heritage in the occupied territories; in particular, to demolition and desecration of the historical monuments and sanctuaries, the destruction of the Armenian identity; expressing hope, that these phenomena will be properly assessed by the international community, the OSCE Minsk Group. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Catholicos of All Armenians answered the questions of the guests, related to the inter-church and inter-religious activities regarding the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; the steps being taken by the Mother See to preserve the spiritual and cultural heritage of Artsakh; and the developments of the domestic political life in Armenia.