U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre on February 16. The reception ceremony was attended by the Chief Chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Aghan Gogchian, who also had a brief conversation with Rubio.

Discussing the meeting’s content, Aghan Gogchian stated that Rubio visited the church unofficially, primarily to attend mass, CivilNet reports.

“We raised the issue of Christian presence in Israel and concerns about their departure. The Secretary of State noted that many Christians, including Armenians, have already left Syria, Lebanon, and other Middle Eastern countries. The US will do everything possible to maintain the Christian presence in Israel to avoid repeating the example of those countries.”

The Secretary of State also expressed gratitude for their service and efforts, promising to keep the discussed issues in focus and visit again, according to the Chief Chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate.

In July 2022, then-US President Joe Biden visited the Armenian Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem during his trip to Jerusalem, meeting with Armenian Patriarch Archbishop Nourhan Manougian.