His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, has sent a letter to President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad to thank him on behalf of the Armenian people for the unanimous adoption by the Syrian People’s Council of a resolution recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide by the Syrian People’s Council.

“The condemnation of crimes against humanity and negation of denial is a firm guarantee that new genocides and crimes against religious and ethnic discrimination can be prevented and a peaceful world can be built,” His Holiness said in the letter.

“The Syrian people today reaffirmed the commitment and determination of their ancestors, who gave shelter to the children of our nation exiled during the difficult years of the Armenian Genocide. Decades ago in the wilderness of Deir ez-Zor, during the presidency of your well-known father, Hafez al-Assad, the construction of the Holy Martyrs Church became another record of the Syrian authorities’ position on the Armenian Genocide,” the Catholicos added.

“We have repeatedly witnessed the undeserved kindness and attention of you and your people towards our people, vivid expressions of which are the Armenian sanctuaries, cultural and educational institutions, numerous testimonies of the Syrian-Armenian community’s remarkable life,” reads the letter of His Holiness.

His Holiness, expressing his support to the pious people of Syria, wished that the desired peace and tranquility in the country would be restored and the dreams of the bright life of the brotherly people overcoming difficulties come true.