Aram I Meets with Syria’s Assad

Aram I with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on January 4

DAMASCUS—Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met on Wednesday with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia in the Syrian capital, where the pontiff congratulate Assad and the people of Syria for the liberation of Aleppo by government forces, reported Syria’s Sana news agency.

During the meeting, Assad affirmed that the war that has plagued Syria and the Syrian people for the past six years has failed to achieve one of its most dangerous goals, which was undermining the Syrian people’s unity and harmony.

A scene from the meeting between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Catholicos Aram I (Photo: Sana)

“[T]his war has made Syrians more steadfast and more determined to remaining committed to their identity and civilization which is based on diversity, and plurality, something what has been a defining attribute of Syrians’ history throughout centuries,” said al-Assad, according to the report.

“His Holiness offered his sincerest hopes and prayers for the [complete] liberation of Syria from terrorism so that peace and security would prevail in Syria as soon as possible,” read a part of the Sana report.

As the Great House of Cilicia reported Tuesday, the Catholicos will spend Armenian Christmas eve and day, as well as the upcoming weekend in Aleppo, where he will hold Christmas Mass, meet the community and tour community institutions to assess the situation there.