Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I have gathered today to discuss the mass protests happening in Armenia.

According to Sargsyan’s press service, both Karekin II and Aram I have described discontent as a normal process in any country and attached importance to exclusively civilized expression of dissent.

In particular, Aram I has welcomed Serzh Sargsyan’s call for the parties to “sit down at the table together and talk”.

“You and the president should head that discussion, as the continuation of this situation will greatly harm our motherland, our people, and especially Artsakh. It is time to unite because we are surrounded by hostile powers. Naturally, there are issues, but they must be discussed with mutual love and respect. This is what we wanted to convey to you, Mr. Prime Minister,” said Aram I.

He has emphasized that these days “creating a tense, uncertain environment with provocative statements harms both the nationa and Armenia’s reputation”.

“After all, it will take months to recover from the consequences of these protests, which means the country will suffer damage. We should tell the protesters: this is our common homeland and we should resolve any issues around the table, not in the streets. We need to look for the ways to resolve the issues in a joint endeavor. That is what has to be done. Carrying on in this way is harmful for Armenia and its people,” said Aram I.

Karekin II has expressed the hope that “the situation will calm down gradually and people will commit to state building and national security.”

“April 24 is ahead, the day we remember the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The message of that date should be in every Armenian’s mind: live straightforward and advance our cause so that we keep our country safe from tragedies and losses,” said Karekin II.