Catholicos Aram I met with the personal representative of Pope Levon XIV, George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, on the sidelines of the VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on September 18 in Astana (Kazakhstan).

The meeting, according to a Catholicosate of Cilicia press release, emphasized the ongoing cooperation between the Holy See of Cilicia and the Vatican, as well as the potential for expanding interreligious and ecumenical relations.

Catholicos Aram I addressed the evolving relationship between the Vatican and Azerbaijan, highlighting concerns about Azerbaijan’s treatment of the Armenian people of Artsakh, the neglect of their churches, and the disregard for their historical and cultural monuments.

He also noted misrepresentations at a recent conference at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome regarding the Armenian presence in Artsakh.