You always stood alongside of us both in moments of ordeal and in times of triumph: Bako Sahakyan congratulates Aram I

President of Artsakh Republic (Nagorno-Karabakh) Bako Sahakyan sent on October 20 a congratulatory address to His Holiness Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, on the 50th anniversary of his ordination to priesthood, the NKR Presidential Office reports.

The address runs as follows: “Your Holiness, The 50th anniversary of Your Ordination is a landmark event for the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Holy See of Cilicia, our Homeland and numerous communities across the Armenian Diaspora.

On behalf of the Artsakh people, authorities and on myself personally I would like to extend the most heartfelt congratulations to You on this memorable occasion and wish You, Your Holiness, many healthy years to come, further strength and thriving to the Holy See of Cilicia and its prelacies.

Artsakh is well aware of and rates high Your long-standing commitment and service as Catholicos, faithful servant of the Church, public figure, dedicated patriot, aimed at strengthening and making prosperous our Church, maintaining the Armenian national identity, preserving and advancing national and spiritual values in the Diaspora, cementing the Homeland-Diaspora ties. You have been carrying out extensive work in the spheres of national education, cementing and widening inter-church and interreligious ties too.

You have always stood alongside of us both in the moments of ordeal and in times of triumph actively supporting the Artsakh people, helping solve the different challenges our country faces, being a reliable shoulder for our people who have undergone numerous predicaments while forging their own destiny themselves.

Your Holiness,

Accept, please, the assurances of my highest consideration and the sincerest wishes on the 50th anniversary of Your ordination to priesthood. Let You, the Mother Church and the world-spread Armenians always be under the protection of the Almighty”.