Yesterday, RoA President Serzh Sargsyan met with His Holiness Catholicos Garegin II at which time the two discuss church-state relations and the recent developments in normalization talks between Armenia and Turkey. President Sargsyan informed the Catholicos that he would be leaving for a weeklong tour of various diaspora communities on October 1 that would included the cities of Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Beirut and Rostov-on-Don, where sizeable Armenian communities exist. The purpose of the trip, President Sargsyan explained, would be to promote and explain his diplomatic overtures to Turkey that has caused much concern with many in the diaspora. President Sargsyan said the process had entered a critical stage, that of public and political discourse. He said that the continuing discussions were quite helpful, whether or not the protocols were eventually ratified or not, since they serve as an important stage to talk about relations and outstanding issues with Turkey. “Of course there are very sensitive and emotional elements and it couldn’t have been otherwise since a huge segment of our people is comprised of descendants of those who survived the Genocide,” President Sargsyan noted. “In addition, our sacred sites are located on the other side of the border – our churches, our capital city and for many, what remains of their ancestral homes.” The President confessed that he sometimes had to wrestle with his emotions, but that in the end he was convinces that these discussions are of vital importance. Catholicos Garegin II expressed his support for the president’s goodwill tour. “The Diaspora is a vital and inseparable part of our people and it is only right for our Diaspora sons … to be able to hear answers from you personally to questions that concern them. Also, you will be exposed to the thoughts, opinions and concerns of our Diaspora sons.” The Catholicos reported that the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Church will also be taking up the matter of Armenian-Turkish relations at its next scheduled meeting and will make its views known regarding the protocol document.