His Holiness Aram I arrives in Armenia, calls to solve issues through dialogue

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, is arriving in Armenia today. Speaking to Cilicia TV at the airport ahead of the flight, the Catholicos said “Armenia is troubled; therefore, we are also troubled.”

“Just as the strengthening and flourishing of Armenia is the duty and pride of all of us, the pain and concerns of our people are ours. Therefore, we cannot stay indifferent to issues worrying our people. We cannot stay indifferent to the scenes and developments in the streets of Yerevan,” His Holiness said.

The Catholcicos said people are the guarantors of Armenia’s strength and perpetuity.

“People are all of us – the President and Ministers, secular and religious people, intellectuals and laborers, all of us together.”

“Statesmen responsible for the Motherland are accountable to people they have been elected by, while people are called to follow the processes and courses determined by leaders they have elected,” His Holiness added.

Sure, he said, if necessary people have the right to express their discontent and expectations in a civilized way.

“We have also expressed our concerns connected with the migration and the standards of living, This is the right and duty of every Armenian,” the Catholicos said.

He added, however, whatever the reasons of the complaint, bloodshed on “sacred Armenian soil” is unacceptable.

“Clashes between our youth and police are unacceptable. All of them are our beloved sons. As anywhere, there are unsolved issues and serious concerns, which force our people to protest. However, problems and concerns need to be discussed to jointly seek ways of their solution in the spirit of love and mutual understanding. This is the correct and secure way to solve issues. This is our expectation form the authorities and people in Armenia,” His Holiness said.