Catholicos of All Armenians Welcomes Minister of Education, Culture, and Science of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
24.04.2025
On April 24, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received a delegation led by Eppo Bruins, Minister of Education, Culture, and Science of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Armenia, Marieke Harriet Monroy-Winter, was also present at the meeting.
His Holiness expressed his satisfaction with the guests' visit to Armenia and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on this sacred day, when the Armenian people commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
His Holiness emphasized that today, the pilgrimages to the Genocide Memorials are accompanied by the awareness that the Armenian Genocide must gain universal recognition and condemnation to prevent such atrocities from ever being repeated in human history. In this regard, the Armenian Patriarch sadly remarked that we continue to witness new genocides being perpetrated in various countries, noting that Azerbaijan has also committed such a genocide through the occupation and ethnic cleansing of Artsakh.
The Armenian Patriarch expressed his appreciation to the Kingdom of the Netherlands for condemning the Genocide and for the support extended to Armenia and the Armenians of Artsakh during difficult times.
In his address, His Holiness also highlighted the historical ties and ongoing cooperation between the two peoples, noting with satisfaction that the local Armenian community is actively engaged in the country’s development process.
Minister Eppo Bruins, expressing his gratitude for the warm reception, shared his impressions of Armenia and emphasized the long-standing role of the Armenian Church in fostering harmony between faith and contemporary life in a rapidly changing world.
