Pashinyan's party proposes utilizing Armenian Church lands for state benefit

According to reports from Armenian media, cited by Caliber.Az, Artur Hovhannisyan, Secretary of Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party, highlighted the existence of unused land plots owned by the Armenian Apostolic Church, suggesting they could benefit the state.

Speaking at the parliament briefing, he added that the church should cooperate with the state and help bring financial means out of the shadows.

Hovhannisyan emphasized that Christianity preaches against stealing and corruption. Accordingly, he suggested that the church adhere to these principles to prevent corruption from arising

He stressed that the Armenian Apostolic Church plays a special role in the country, but given the democratic and tax changes, as well as the development of state institutions, all financial means in Armenia should come out of the shadows.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan previously proposed the idea of full tax collection from the church in 2018, with subsequent reimbursement, but faced opposition. Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan echoed the need for discussions regarding the church's tax status amid protests led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.