▁and ▁rat ified ▁a ▁“ J oint ▁Syn od al ▁Dec ree ▁for ▁Prom oting ▁Unity ,” ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁signed ▁by ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁both ▁Holy ▁Syn ods . ▁It ▁rest ated ▁the ▁areas ▁of ▁past oral ▁co operation ▁en vis aged ▁in ▁the ▁J oint ▁Patri arch al ▁Stat ement , ▁recognized ▁that ▁Ass y ri ans ▁and ▁Chal de ans ▁should ▁come ▁to ▁accept ▁each ▁other ' s ▁diverse ▁practices ▁as ▁legit imate , ▁formally ▁implemented ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁an ▁Ass y rian - Ch al de an ▁“ J oint ▁Commission ▁for ▁Unity ,” ▁and ▁declared ▁that ▁each ▁side ▁recognized ▁the ▁apost ol ic ▁succession , ▁sacr aments ▁and ▁Christian ▁witness ▁of ▁the ▁other . ▁The ▁text ▁also ▁sp elled ▁out ▁the ▁central ▁concerns ▁of ▁both ▁sides ▁in ▁the ▁dialog ue . ▁While ▁both ▁churches ▁wanted ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁Ar ama ic ▁language ▁and ▁culture , ▁the ▁Ass y ri ans ▁were ▁intent ▁on ▁retain ing ▁their ▁freedom ▁and ▁self - g overn ance , ▁and ▁the ▁Chal de ans ▁aff ir med ▁the ▁necessity ▁of ▁maintain ing ▁full ▁commun ion ▁with ▁Rome . ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁B id aw id , ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁he ▁commented ▁on ▁the ▁Ass y rian ▁name ▁dispute ▁and ▁declared ▁his ▁eth nic ▁point ▁of ▁view : ▁ ▁“ I ▁personally ▁think ▁that ▁these ▁different ▁names ▁serve ▁to ▁add ▁confusion . ▁The ▁original ▁name ▁of ▁our ▁Church ▁was ▁the ▁‘ Ch urch ▁of ▁the ▁East ’