President Serzh Sargsyan today sent a letter of condolence on the demise of Catholicos Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX of Cilicia.

“It was with deep sorrow that I learned of the passing away of Catholicos Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX of Cilicia.

Being an energetic and prestigious clergyman, for many years he played a major role in the preservation of national identity, the reinvigoration of spiritual and cultural life, as well as in developing and deepening close ties between the motherland and the diaspora.

As a member of the State Commission on Coordination of the Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the catholicos patriarch brought his valuable and effective input into the commission’s activities.

I express my deepest sympathy for the demise of the eminent spiritual leader and the merited Armenian,” reads the RA president’s condolence letter.