The Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I has hailed the United States Senate’s unanimous vote to condemn the Armenian Genocide as “a unique step” in the fight for recognition.

The Catholicos praised the efforts of the Armenian National Committee of America and the result of collective and consistent work.

Aram I also said he is hopeful the U.S. President Donald Trump will make “a decisive step” in the direction too.

The Senate passed the resolution on Thursday, December 12.

Sen. Bob Menendez passed the resolution, which provides "official recognition and remembrance" of the Armenian Genocide, by consent.

"We have just passed the Armenian genocide resolution ... and it is fitting and appropriate that the Senate stands on the right side of history in doing so. It commemorates the truth of the Armenian genocide," Menendez said from the Senate floor.

The move comes after three GOP senators previously blocked passage of the resolution amid pressure from the White House, which argued that it would undercut negotiations between Washington and Ankara, which vehemently opposes recognizing the killing of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.