Pashinyan wants to discredit Armenian Church as institution ahead of elections, says Zatulin

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) must respond to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statements about “freeing” the Armenian Church from the antichrist, Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of Russia’s State Duma Committee for the CIS and Relations with Russian Nationals Abroad, said in an interview with НСН.

“Russia should not remain silent and present this as an internal matter of Armenia. Russia cannot be absolutely indifferent to what is happening—neither publicly, nor at the state level, especially on the religious front. I am surprised that this has not yet become a topic for any statements from our religious authorities, particularly the Russian Orthodox Church. The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. It would not be superfluous for our clergy to pay attention to this, despite their desire to stay aside and avoid problems in their relations with the Muslim clergy of Azerbaijan,” Zatulin said.

The deputy believes that the Armenian Apostolic Church could become a moral authority for Armenians amid Pashinyan’s “immoral” policies.

“Pashinyan is trying to discredit the Armenian Church as an institution that could serve as a moral authority. Everything Pashinyan does in the political arena is immoral. Of course, he cannot fail to understand that this will not be approved by believers and clergy. Many oppose him because they realize that the path Pashinyan has chosen leads the Armenian people into a dead end. He is acting in this way fully aware, just ahead of the 2026 elections,” Zatulin stated.