Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On June 15, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; hosted member of the House of Lords, Bishop of Coventry, the Right Reverend Dr. Christopher Cocksworth, accompanied by His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Armenian Church in the UK and Ireland.

His Holiness welcomed the visit of Bishop Christopher to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, emphasizing that in the coming days the Lord Bishop of Coventry will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the life of the Armenian people and the challenges to be faced, history, centuries-old and rich cultural heritage. His Holiness, particularly, expressed his appreciation to the Bishop of Coventry for his support to the Armenian people in this difficult period, especially the efforts made for the release of Armenian prisoners of war and protection of Armenian sanctuaries.

In his turn, Bishop Christopher expressed joy for the opportunity to visit Armenia. Touching upon the dire losses caused by the war, the Right Reverend Dr. Christopher expressed his grief, as well as his support to the Catholicos of All Armenians and informed about the special events and ceremonies held on this occasion at the Mother Cathedral of Coventry. He also highlighted with gratitude the close cooperation established between the Diocese of the Armenian Church in the UK and Ireland and the Armenian community.

During the conversation, issues related to the post-war situation, the security of Artsakh, the border settlements of Artsakh and Armenia, as well as the return of Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan were discussed in detail. A special reference was made to the issues of the destruction and assimilation of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage in the territories of Artsakh under the control of Azerbaijan. In this regard, the Catholicos of All Armenians shared his concerns.