YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has denied the initiative calling on changing the country’s national anthem and making it gender-neutral.

“No, I am against changing the lyrics of the anthem”, the president said.

The country's equality commissioner, Kirsten Rose-Moehring, had proposed replacing words like "fatherland" and "brotherly", according to German media.

Chancellor Merkel weighed in on the debate on Monday, saying she was "very satisfied" with the current lyrics.

Canada and Austria have recently adopted gender-neutral phrases in their national anthems.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan