Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Wednesday, January 4 in the Syrian capital, where the pontiff congratulate Assad and the people of Syria for the liberation of Aleppo by government forces, reported Syria’s Sana news agency.

During the meeting, Catholicos Aram I offered congratulations to President Assad and the Syrian people over the liberation of Aleppo city after years of suffering from crimes committed by terrorists.

"His Holiness offered his sincerest hopes and prayers for the liberation of the entirety of Syria from terrorism so that peace and security would prevail in Syria as soon as possible," the report said.

For his part, President Assad affirmed that the terrorist war that has been targeting Syria and the entirety of the Syrian people for years has failed in achieving one of its most dangerous goals which is undermining the Syrian people’s unity and harmony,

He asserted that this war has made Syrians more steadfast and more determined to remaining committed to their identity and civilization which is based on diversity and plurality, something what has been a defining attribute of Syrians’ history throughout centuries.

As the Great House of Cilicia reported Tuesday, the Catholicos will spend Armenian Christmas eve and day, as well as the upcoming weekend in Aleppo, where he will hold Christmas Mass, meet the community and tour community institutions to assess the situation there.