President receives representatives of Syrian-Armenian community organizations and clergy

President Serzh Sargsyan today received the representatives of Syrian-Armenian community organizations and clergy who arrived in Armenia to take part in the 5th Armenia-Diaspora conference. The representatives include the Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Berio Shahan Archbishop Sargsyan, the President of the Council of Armenian Evangelical Churches of Syria Rev. Harutyun Selimyan, ARF representative Karapet Yuzbashyan, the Chairman of the ADL North Syrian Regional Department and ADL Supreme Court Representative Levon Peleqyan, the Chairman of the SDHP Aleppo Region Sargis Kavlakyan, ARF representative, Berio National Primacy press secretary and Armenian National Primacy spokesman Jirayr Reisyan.

At the meeting the parties touched upon the issues concerning Syrian-Armenian community which continues to be in a difficult and alarming situation as a result of the Syrian crisis, the involvement of all Armenian organizations aimed at dealing with those issues, the assistance being rendered to our compatriots who moved from Syria to Armenia and the upcoming programs.

The state of endangered Middle Eastern Christian communities, the issues and national challenges pertaining to preservation of Christian cultural and spiritual heritage in the region were discussed. The interlocutors expressed their deep concern about and strictly condemned the barbaric terrorist act on September 21 as a result of which Armenian St. Martyrs Church in Deir ez-Zor commemorating the Armenian Genocide martyrs was exploded.

The parties attached great importance to the priorities and theses stipulated in the Statement of the 5th Armenia-Diaspora Conference aimed at dealing with the above-mentioned issues, responding to existing challenges and uniting Armenians around national interests and objectives.