PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: cathcil@cathcil.org
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS RECEIVED SPIRITUAL AND ECUMENICAL GUESTS

His Holiness Aram I held a series of meetings with various spiritual and
secular guests on August 19.

The Primate of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Beirut, Metropolitan George
Saliba, visited His Holiness to give him a copy of a book about the Armenian
Genocide written in Arabic by an Syrian author.

He invited the Catholicos to the ceremonies to be held in Damascus next
month, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the enthronement of
Patriarch Zakka Iwas I, Head of the Syrian Orthodox Church. His Holiness
assured that he will send a high-level delegation of Archbishops to attend
the ceremonies.

The deputy director of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Alain Balian, also
visited His Holiness Aram I. He informed the Catholicos about the activities
of the Central Bank and his efforts to involve Armenian employees in these
activities.

His Holiness praised the work carried out by Balian and stressed the
importance of placing Armenian employees in governmental posts and securing
the rights of the Armenian community.

His Holiness then received Arda Ekmekdji, the representative of the Armenian
Community in the 12 member committee for the formulation of a Lebanese
Election Law. Ekmekdji talked about the work carried our by the committee
till now.

His Holiness pointed out that he expects Ekmekdji to rightly represent the
Armenian Community’s viewpoints and rights in the committee. He stressed
that the 2000 electoral law should undergo necessary changes to allow wider
participation by the people and secure the internal unity of Lebanon’s
different communities.

The president of the Maronite League and former minister Michel Edde also
visited His Holiness. The two sides emphasized the importance of
inter-Christian cooperation during the meeting. They also discussed the
necessity of making a comprehensive list of the Lebanese Diaspora in order
to involve them in the electoral process.

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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.