His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians yesterday met with former President of the Federal Republic of Germany Joachim Gauck, who is in Armenia on a five-day visit at the invitation of His Holiness.

The Catholicos of All Armenians welcomed the President’s visit to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and expressed his gratitude to Mr. Gauck for his major contribution to the adoption of a resolution on recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by the German Bundestag in 2016.

Expressing gratitude to the Catholicos of All Armenians for the cordial reception, Mr. Joachim Gauck expressed gratitude for the cordial reception and the opportunity to visit the ancient Christian shrine and noted that what links him to Armenia is Franz Werfel’s book “The Forty Days of Musa Dagh” which he had read during his early teenage years.

During the meeting, the parties highlighted the major role of the Armenian Church and the Evangelical Churches of Germany in the shaping of national identity and development of culture and education.

President Gauck reaffirmed the willingness to promote the German-Armenian relations and contribute to further enhancement of the partnership.

During the next couple of days, President Gauck will visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide and will visit several monasteries and historical and cultural sites in Armenia.