Armenian Catholicos meets with cardinals, raises issue of Armenian  prisoners in Azerbaijan 

ArmInfo.  Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, during his official visit to the Vatican, touched upon the events taking place in different parts of the world  and in the region at a meeting with Cardinal and Secretary of State  Pietro Parolin.

As reported by the press office of the Mother See of Holy  Etchmiadzin, in particular, the Catholicos stressed the importance of  protecting the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh, forcibly displaced  from their homeland, preserving the spiritual and cultural heritage  of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and releasing the Armenian prisoners  of war held in Baku. In this regard, the parties touched upon the  importance of the efforts made by the international community,  including sister churches, to restore a lasting and lasting peace in  the region.

At a meeting with Claudio Gugerotti, President of the Dicastery  (formerly the Congregation - ed.) for the Oriental Churches, Karekin  II expressed gratitude to the cardinal for his commitment and service  to the Armenian people and the Armenian Church.

The Supreme Patriarch also held meetings with Cardinal Kurt Koch,  President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity;  Cardinal Jose Tolentino, President of the Christian Union's Publicity  Office; Cardinal Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education;  and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with  States.

According to the source, the discussions with the heads of these  structures focused on the further expansion of cooperation between  the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the  Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, as well as the problems of the  Armenian people, the challenges facing the Christian world, and the  imperatives of preserving Christian values and heritage.

As a reminder, 23 Armenians are currently being held in Azerbaijani  prisons, including 16 people captured following Azerbaijan's military  attack on Artsakh on September 19, 2023. Among the captives are eight  former Artsakh officials: former presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako  Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, parliament speaker David Ishkhanyan,  former state minister Ruben Vardanyan, former commander of the  Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan, former deputy commander David  Manukyan, and former foreign minister David Babayan.