20 July 2016. On Wednesday morning, Catholicos Aram I received Emmanuel Bonne, the French Ambassador to Lebanon at his office at St Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya. Ambassador Bonne was accompanied by the embassy’s political officer.

During the two-hour meeting they discussed the Lebanese presidential election, issues related to security in Lebanon, the conflict in Syria and the presence of Christians in the Middle East. Following the discussion, His Holiness condemned the July 14th lorry attack; he also thanked France for recognizing the Armenian Genocide and said that the steadfast friendship between the two people has been a great comfort to the Armenian people.

At the end of the visit, the Ambassador and the Political Officer visited the monuments commemorating the 1915 Armenian Genocide.