The Honorable Barack OBAMA

President of the United States of America

The White House

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President-elect,

I greet your election as president of the U.S.A. with profound joy. Many American Armenians strongly supported you on this historic election. In fact, they supported your firm engagement for change and your promise to promote, with renewed impetus and vision, the great values and ideals that characterize the U.S.A.

Mr. President-elect,

It is the expectation of the American Armenians and, in fact, all Armenians of the globe that, during your presidency, as a concrete expression of the U.S.A.'s commitment to human rights and justice, the Congress and Senate formally rec­ognize the Armenian Genocide. With this hope in heart, as a spiritual leader, I warmly greet your election and pray the Almighty God to strengthen you physically and spiritually to carry on your mission in a world torn apart by injustice, poverty and conflict.

May God bless you and the United States of America.

Prayerfully yours

ARAM I

CATHOLICOS OF CILICIA