The Church Has Set Conditions Before Pashinyan: 'If You Want Taxes, Then...'

The newspaper "Iravunk" reports that the recent meeting of the working group on church-state relations did not go smoothly, according to information received by "Iravunk." Reliable sources indicate that although no decisions were made, it became evident through the questions raised what Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government expect from the church. The discussion particularly focused on tax policy.

Church representatives stated that they could indeed pay taxes in full, but only while legally demanding compensation for the damages caused to the church by the state.

For instance, they hinted that the church could demand the return of all manuscripts preserved in the Matenadaran, which were nationalized following the Bolshevik Revolution, as well as compensation for losses incurred during those years due to being deprived of the income expected from the normal circulation of property that rightfully belongs to them.

Details can be found in today’s edition of the newspaper.