Catholicos of All Armenians Meets with EU Ambassadors to Eastern Europe and Central Asia
21.05.2025
On May 21, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, received participants of the regional seminar of European Union ambassadors to Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
At the outset of the meeting, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, introduced the ambassadors to His Holiness and offered general information regarding the seminar.
Welcoming the participants of the regional seminar to the spiritual center of the Armenian people, the Catholicos of All Armenians reflected on the mission of the Armenian Church in the life of the Armenian people.
In his address, His Holiness noted that the ambassadors, both in their home countries and places of service, have had opportunities to engage with Armenian communities and become acquainted with the traditions and cherished values of the Armenian people. He noted that convening the seminar in Armenia provides an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the country and its millennia-old heritage and become more fully informed about the complex and challenging circumstances currently facing the nation.
His Holiness further expressed deep concern over the security threats confronting the Armenian people, in the wake of the the occupation of Artsakh, as well as the safeguarding of the rights of the displaced Armenians of Artsakh, the continued unlawful detention of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages in Azerbaijan, and the ongoing deliberate destruction and appropriation of the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage in Artsakh. He emphasized the urgent need for the restoration of peace and stability in the region and the importance of more decisive and effective action by EU member states and institutions in response to Azerbaijan’s policy of Armenophobia.
In conclusion, Ambassador Maragos thanked the Catholicos for the warm reception and emphasized the significance of continued dialogue and cooperation with the Armenian Church in the shared pursuit of lasting and just peace.
