Mother See condemns the statement of Georgian Deputy Minister

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 19, ARMENPRESS: On October 17, during a conference on “The Issues and Prospects of Armenian Community of Tbilisi”, Deputy State Minister of Georgia for Reintegration Elene Tevdoradze stated that the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia is the branch of Holy Etchmiadzin, and Georgia will not give a state status and will not state register the Diocese of Georgian Armenians.

Press Secretary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Vahram Melikyan told Armenpress that the statement of the deputy minister is condemnable, as it is obvious that the person who made such a statement has no idea about historical truths.

“Suchlike approach can be typical of totalitarian country and not of democratic one, while Georgia pretends to become a democratic country,” Vahram Melikyan said, adding that suchlike statements contradict all kinds of international acts. He also noted that suchlike position of Tevdoradze does not stem from the principles of democratic policy, for it encroaches the religious rights.

Armenian Apostolic Church has been working since the first half of the 4th century, when Christianity was adopted in Georgia as state religion. From that period on the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Georgian-Armenians has been working according to the constitution of Georgia of all times.