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LRAPER - PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN'S COURTESY VISIT TO HIS BEATITUDE PATRIARCH MESROB II
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PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN'S COURTESY VISIT
TO HIS BEATITUDE PATRIARCH MESROB II
ISTANBUL, 19 Nov (Lraper) - At the end of the OSCE summit
in Istanbul, President Robert Kocharian paid a courtesy visit to the
Armenian Patriarchate today at 15:00 hours, and was received in
the audience hall of the patriarchal headquarters by His Beatitude
Patriarch Mesrob II of Istanbul and all Turkey. The one-hour
encounter was attended by the Armenian Government's delegation
to the OSCE summit, accompanying the President, including Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian, members of the Religious and Advisory
Councils of the Armenian Patriarchate, Istanbul Armenian
community leaders, intellectuals and representatives of the
Armenian press.
Welcoming President Kocharian, Patriarch Mesrob said:
"I extend to Your Excellency cordial greetings and a warm welcome
to our Patriarchate in the name of the clergy and laity of our Holy
Church, the Spiritual and Advisory councils of the Patriarchal See,
and the members of the Armenian community-at-large.You are
now the third Armenian President who has visited our Patriarchate.
At the turn of the century, the President of the First Republic of
Armenia, Mr. Avedis Aharonian, came to Istanbul in 1918. Those
were years of hardship and pain; even the Patriarchal See was vacant.
The first President of the Third Republic of Armenia, Mr. Levon
Ter Petrossian visited this house twice in 1992 and 1997. You are
thus the third President of Armenia whom we host during the 20th
century. The history of this ancient community goes back to the
5th century AD, when around 410, Saint Mesrob Mashdotz came
to Constantinople to secure permission from the Byzantine emperor
and the patriarch to teach the Armenian alphabet to the Armenian
communities which had settled west of the River Euphrates. His
disciples remained here to work on the translation of the Armenian
Bible, and from then on, this historic city has always had an Armenian
community, smaller or larger at times, which also became a center
of Armenian literature and culture. Fully or partially Armenian
12 nobles have served the Byzantine Throne as emperors. The
Ottoman Emperor, Sultan Mehmed II, transfered the eparchy of
the Armenians of Western Asia Minor from Bursa to Istanbul,
in 1461, and recognized Archbishop Hovagim as the Armenian
Patriarch of Constantinople. Since then, this see, as the ethnarchy
and patriarchy of Western Armenians, has played a very significant
role in the history of our people. Since 1641, the headquarters is
here in Kumkapi. Perhaps, today, this one is the humblest of the
four patriarchal sees of the Armenian Church in the world, but
we look to the future in Christian faith and hope. You are
welcome here. Following the sad events in the first quarter of
this century, the first President of Armenia came here under
extremely sorrowful circumstances. At the end of this century,
and at the threshold of the Third Millenium, you come here as
the second President of the Third Republic, leading the delegation
of Armenia in a 54-nation OSCE summit. This is inspiring.
It is my hope and prayer that, led by yourself and your illustrious
fellows in the government, the state and people of Armenia will
have a bright future in this coming century, in prosperity, security,
peace and hope".
President Kocharian thanked the Patriarch for his words of good
will and welcome and said "Since I was in Istanbul for the OSCE
summit, I could possibly not have bypassed this important encounter
with the Armenian Patriarchate and the Armenian community in this city".
The President then continued his words briefing all those present about
the OSCE summit. Kocharian added that Armenian-Turkish relations
have entered a new phase. One must not exaggerate in terms of
optimism, he said, but there is space for hope.
The 24-people rescue team, which was sent by the Armenian
government immediately after the 12 November earthquake, also
arrived at the Patriarchate and were cordially greeted by the Patriarch
and the President. Kocharian said that the team's efforts would add a
new dimension to Turkish-Armenian relations. Both Armenia and Turkey
are situated in earthquake zones, and our people are deeply aware
of how painful it could get after a major earthquake.
President Kocharian left for the Yesilkoy International Airport at
16:00 hours, following a brief visit to the Holy Mother-of-God
Patriarchal Church where he kept a moment silence before the tomb
of Patriarch Nersess II Varjabedyan.
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