YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Locum tenens of the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul Archbishop Garegin Bekchian on March 19 departed for Germany from Turkey, Armenian “Zhamanak” daily of Istanbul reported.

After arriving in Cologne primacy, he issued a short announcement stating that he will move forward the working stage for the election of a patriarch according to church traditions. He expressed confidence that that stage will be passed in harmony and solidarity conditions.

Bekchian told the newspaper that he would leave Istanbul for a week since he has an already scheduled important meeting in Germany.