4 September 2016. On Sunday morning His Holiness Aram I met with Archbishop Shahan Sarkissian, Prelate of Peria (Syria). The Archbishop updated the Catholicos on the recent escalation of violence in Aleppo and the organization of humanitarian assistance to the community under siege.
Catholicos Aram I praised the commitment of the clergy and their untiring accompaniment of the people, the lay leadership, the volunteers responsible for emergency services and the youth defending the neighbourhoods. He assured them all of his prayers and the support of the Catholicosate of Cilicia for their efforts to protect the people, and he expressed his solidarity and his hope to visit them soon. He then updated the Archbishop on his recent meeting in Geneva with the UN envoy, Staffan de Mistura.
Catholicos Aram I also informed the Archbishop of the forthcoming meeting of the Board of ARMENOFAS Swiss-Armenian Foundation Board to be held in Antelias, during which the members will discuss the situation of Armenians in Syria.