His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos met with Minister of Defense of Canada Jason Kenney in Ottawa, as posted on the official website of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, reports “Armenpress”. The Supreme Patriarch and the Defense Minister discussed several issues, including the current state of affairs in the Middle East and issues related to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. they emphasized the need to combine efforts and solve the situation created by Islamist extremists in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The Supreme Patriarch and Minister Kenney also stressed the imperative for recognition of the Armenian Genocide and reparations. The minister particularly stressed the need to ensure the protection of Christian communities in the Middle East. Within this framework, His Holiness touched upon the current difficulties facing Armenians in Syria, particularly in Aleppo. The Supreme Patriarch granted the “Knight” Order of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia to Minister Kenney as a token of appreciation of his longstanding support to the Armenian people and the solution to the Armenian Cause. After arriving in Ottawa, Head of the Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group Harold Albrecht organized a banquet in the Parliament of Canada in honor of His Holiness. During the banquet, the Supreme Patriarch and Harold Albrecht touched upon issues related to the Armenian-Canadian partnership. Earlier, the Supreme Patriarch had met with the Prime Minister of Canada in Ottawa.