Catholicos of All Armenians meets with German president 

ArmInfo. Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, at a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, asked the latter to raise the issue of Armenian prisoners  of war held in Azerbaijani prisons during his visit to Baku. This was  reported by the press office of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

According to the report, Steinmeier, who arrived in Armenia on an  official visit, visited the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on April  1.

It is noted that the Catholicos of All Armenians welcomed President  Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender at the Cathedral, speaking  about the great role of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church and the  Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in the formation of the national and  Christian identity of the Armenian people and its important mission  to preserve the nation.

His Holiness affirmed that throughout history, the Armenian people,  with the strength of their faith and trust in God, have endured  difficulties and trials and, in the image of the Lord and Savior  Jesus Christ, have overcome many Calvaries, including the genocide  committed against them at the beginning of the 20th century. The  Catholicos expressed hope that with the same faith and strong will,  the Armenian people will overcome the trials that have befallen the  homeland in recent years and the current difficult challenges.

Considering that the German President will also visit Azerbaijan, His  Holiness asked Frank-Walter Steinmeier to raise in Baku the issues of  the just rights of the people of Artsakh, as well as the release of  Armenian prisoners of war and the preservation of the Armenian  spiritual and cultural heritage.

According to His Holiness, only by consistently raising the existing  problems and resolving them fairly will it be possible to establish  lasting peace in the region and create conditions for the peaceful  coexistence of peoples.

The German President, thanking Garegin II for the opportunity to  visit the ancient Christian shrine, emphasized the role of religions  in ensuring peace and solidarity in the lives of peoples. Steinmeier  assured the Armenian Patriarch that he would make his mediation  efforts to facilitate the establishment of final peace in the region.

In conclusion, the President, accompanied by Bishop Serovbe  Isakhanyan, toured the Cathedral and got acquainted with the history  of the restored shrine. It should be noted that on April 1, the  staged trial of Armenians held in Baku prisons on fabricated criminal  charges continued in Baku. Among those held were representatives of  the military-political leadership of Artsakh.