Cadastre Committee Head Addresses the Ownership Status of Hovhanavank

In a conversation with journalists, Suren Tumasyan, the head of the Cadastre Committee, discussed his participation in the Divine Liturgy held at Hovhanavank on Sunday, officiated by the defrocked priest Aram. Tumasyan expressed gratitude to the priest for his service.

"There are rules and regulations that we all must follow, regardless of position or rank. The priest fulfilled his duties, and the service was quite fulfilling. We thank him for that," Tumasyan said.

He added that he participates in the services out of his own volition. "I attend the liturgies that I wish to attend, and I will probably continue to do so," the official noted.

When asked whether he would join Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's initiative, “The Veneration to the Venerable,” Tumasyan responded that the Veneration should operate according to established rules and procedures.

Discussing the issue of Hovhanavank's ownership, Tumasyan stated that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, all lands became the property of the Republic of Armenia. According to him, the processes for the distribution and transfer of lands, including the area related to Hovhanavank, have been clarified through government decisions.

“There have been government decisions regarding both the building and the land of Hovhanavank, and the real estate was transferred to the Armenian Apostolic Church exclusively based on those decisions. Without recalling the details, I cannot specify whether it is through usage or ownership rights,” he mentioned.

Tumasyan also noted that there are about 600-700 church-owned properties in Armenia, of which some are exempt from property tax and land tax, while others are not.