CATHOLICOS OF CILICIA ARAM I CALLS ON ARMENIANS TO UNITE

ARKA
March 11, 2008

YEREVAN, March 11. /ARKA/. Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I urged the
Armenian people to unite around their national values in such a
difficult period.

>From February 20 to March 1, Armenia’s opposition political forces led
by ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosyan were holding rallies in Liberty
Square in Yerevan protesting against the results of February 19
presidential elections attributing victory to Prime Minister Serge
Sargssyan.

As a result of public unrest and clashes between the rally participants
and the police 131 people were injured, and eight were killed. On
March 1, RA President Robert Kocharyan issued a decree on imposing
a twenty-day state of emergency in the capital.

"Today our homeland faces greater problems ever and our people should
leave aside all their minor problems to unite around national values
and interests," the Press Office of the Catholicos of Cilicia quoted
him saying.

The same source reports that His Holiness Aram I sent a delegation to
Saint Etchmiadzin to express support to Catholicos of All Armenians
Garegin II in connection with the Yerevan events, as well as the
wounded and families of those killed. The delegation includes
Archbishop Sepuh Sargssyan and Bishop Narek Alemezyan. –0–