Pashinyan attends inaugural Armenia Prayer Breakfast

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the gala dinner organized within the framework of the inaugural Prayer Breakfast event in Republic of Armenia on Friday evening, which was attended by more than 300 high-ranking officials, representatives from diplomatic, business, and religious sectors from both Armenia and abroad.

The Prime Minister delivered a speech and welcomed the attendees.

“Nikol Pashinyan noted that, having served as the Prime Minister of Armenia for seven years, this is the first time he is attending such an event, where representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Yazidi, Jewish, Armenian Catholic, Armenian Evangelical communities, Assyrian, Orthodox Churches, Muslim, and other faith groups are present,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release.

In his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that religious tolerance has always been on the government’s agenda, and this is one of those cases where political actions, statements, and decisions must be translated into concrete human interactions. The head of state also added that such interactions are very important for getting to know the beliefs and religions of different religious communities and national minorities in Armenia.

The event, organized by Armenia’s civil society, aims to promote dialogue and cooperation, based on Armenia’s historical Christian identity, peace, moral principles of leadership, and religious freedom. The broader goal of the Prayer Breakfast is to form a vision and to view Armenia as a leading country in religious freedom and well-being, with a society based on faith, partnership, innovation, and peace. Through the Prayer Breakfast, the Republic of Armenia joins the global tradition that unites leaders to reflect, pray, and find moral solutions to the challenges of our time.

Pashinyan mentioned his participation – along with U.S. President Donald Trump - in the National Prayer Breakfast organized in Washington in February 2025, which left a “profound impression” on him.

"I realized what was missing in my spiritual life, specifically from my perspective. In the U.S., people of all different occupations and statuses shared their spiritual feelings and experiences, the path of their faith, and the doubts and hesitations they had encountered along the way. People were simply sharing their spiritual emotions, and I realized that this is something we are missing. Of course, we participate in our church services and liturgies with great reverence, but there is a nuance here. Participants in the liturgy usually do not have the opportunity to speak," said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister told the attendees that his first encounter with the New Testament was during his school years when he received a Bible as a gift. "When I started reading, I was simply struck and realized that it was impossible for man to have created those words. I have read the New Testament dozens of times, and on one occasion, while speaking with my fellow parliamentary colleagues, I mentioned a passage that made me believe in God and Jesus Christ. It’s the passage from the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, titled 'The Final Judgment,'" Pashinyan said.

Earlier on Friday, President Vahagn Khachaturyan participated in the inaugural Republic of Armenia Prayer Breakfast meeting and delivered remarks.