This Process Must Happen Without Harming the Church: Artur Hovhannisyan

Artur Hovhannisyan, the secretary of the ruling party's faction in the National Assembly, does not believe that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement that "no area of the enlarged community of Vagharshapat can be closed off for law enforcement activities" means that law enforcement agencies may carry out new operations.

"I don't think that's what it’s about. Because we have experienced a phenomenon where the law enforcement tried to carry out an operation in the territory of Ejmiadzin, unfortunately, because the individual who was supposed to present themselves to law enforcement was, in fact, hiding in the church grounds, there was an operation related to that. As long as there were people who thought that there was a certain area, a certain position, a certain name-surname, a certain outfit in the Republic of Armenia that made them immune in all respects before the law, this statement is about the fact that such a thing is not possible. There has not been such a case where the Prime Minister announced the action of law enforcement agencies," he said.

"Since the Prime Minister has also made a public statement regarding the formation of the council and the composition of that council, it is precisely that composition that should formulate the agenda. We have spoken more than once about the need for this process to take place in a manner that is as harmonious and brotherly as possible to avoid harming the church," Hovhannisyan noted.