28 July 2014. On Monday Hon. Jason Kenny and his delegation met with His Holiness Aram I. Rt. Rev. Housig Mardirossian, the Ecumenical Relations officer, was also present.

The Minister is in the region on a special mission to assess the political situation and discuss the problems of Christian communities in the region. The Minister discussed the role of Canadian Armenian community in Canadian society, the commitment of Canadian authorities to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and his government’s perspectives on the conflict in the Middle East.

His Holiness thanked Minister Kenney for Canada’s support of the Armenian community and the Armenian cause, and he described and shared his concerns about the situation of Armenians in Syria and Lebanon. The Catholicos and the Minister discussed the 100th Anniversary commemorations of the Genocide and the negative attitude of Turkey towards the just cause of the Armenian people.

Before leaving, the Minister and his delegation visited the Martyr’s Chapel in Antelias and paid tribute to the memory of the victims.