On Tuesday, October 21, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I met with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, for a high-level meeting, marking a significant moment in Armenian–Canadian relations.
Their discussions covered the following key areas: Lebanon, Syria, the Middle East, Armenia, Gaza and Palestinian issues. The Catholicos shared with the Prime Minister his views and concerns regarding these fields.
Catholicos Aram I specifically raised the plight of the Armenian leadership of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), who remain illegally detained in Baku since September 2023, for just over two years.
Catholicos Aram I proposed that the Canadian Prime Minister undertake specific efforts concerning:
- The immediate release of Artsakh’s Armenian political prisoners;
- The right of return for the Armenian people of Artsakh and the restoration of their right to self-determination;
- The protection and preservation of Artsakh’s religious and cultural monuments, many of which face the threat of destruction or appropriation under Azerbaijani control.
Also present at the meeting alongside the Pontiff was the Prelate Archbishop Papken Tcharian, Khoren Dimitian, Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC), and Raffi Donabedian, Board Member of Armenian National Committee International and World Delegate of the Armenian Church of Cilicia.
