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His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, on Tuesday met with a delegation led by French MEPs Sylvie Guillaume and Francois Alphonse, co-chairmen of the European Parliament's Friendship Group with Artsakh, accompanied by President of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) Kaspar Garabedian, at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Catholicos Karekin II thanked the parliamentarians for their efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the Artsakh issue. He also expressed gratitude to the Armenian National Committee of Europe for consistently bringing up the Artsakh Armenians' problems in various European institutions and defending their right to live freely and independently, the Mother See press office said in a statement.

Briefing the guests on the fragile situation in the region and, particularly, the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh caused by Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor, Karekin II spoke about the expectations of the Armenian people from the international community in this regard.

“His Holiness noted that Azerbaijan's expansionist policy destabilizing the region could be stopped through the support of friendly countries and a clear position of the international community,” the Mother See said.

“During the conversation, the MEPs condemned the Azerbaijani military and post-war encroachments and assured His Holiness that they would continue to support Armenia and the Armenians in Artsakh,” it added.