YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–His Holiness Karekin I–Catholicos of All Armenia’s met Monday with the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York.
During the meeting the Catholicos stressed Annan’s role in the intensity of the UN’s activities and in the settlement of conflicts as well as in conducting reforms within the UN.
He also gave a positive assessment to the recent steps aimed at establishing the International Criminal Court–the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.
Regarding the Karabakh problem–the Catholicos stressed that its solution should be based on human rights principles and a state’s right to independence.
He also underlined that Armenia has always supported the peaceful settlement of the conflict. At the end of the meeting the Catholicos presented a souvenir to the UN Secretary General.
The Pontiff was accompanied by the permanent representative of Armenia in the UN–Movses Abelian–and Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America–Archbishop Khajag Barsamian. Attending the meeting were the director of the UN Political Department–Undersecretary Kiran Prendergast–and Chief of the Foreign Relations Department–Undersecretary Hilian Sorensen.