His Holiness Catholicos Aram I received California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis on the evening of Friday, November 7, 2025. The meeting was held while California Governor Gavin Newsom was traveling abroad.
The hour-long meeting fostered a substantive discussion on matters of mutual concern, including the Armenian Cause, Armenia-Diaspora relations, and the vital role of the Armenian community in the United States. The situation of Armenians in the Middle East was also a key topic of dialogue.
The exchange was particularly enriched by Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis’s Greek heritage and her close ties to the Greek Orthodox Church, which provided a shared context for discussing issues of faith and cultural identity.
Representatives from the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region were also in attendance and presented issues of specific concern to the Armenian community in California.
His Holiness was accompanied by His Eminence Archbishop Kegham Khatcherian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, and Mr. Rosdom Ayntablian, a member of the Diocesan Central Committee.
