YEREVAN. – Georgian Church in Armenia demands to grant legal status for five monasteries on Armenian-Georgian border. These are Akhtala, Hnevank, Kobayr, Khujap, and Kirants, Hayots Ashkharh Armenian newspaper reports.

Armenian Apostolic Church approves the demand to grant legal status, but will not agree to pass them to Georgians.

According to the spokesperson of the Holy See Ter Vahram, only 600 Georgians live in the territory of Armenia. Thus, granting the churches to them is not justified.

However, the expert for Armenian monuments Samvel Karapetyan does not think it fair to condition the issue with the number of Georgians living in Armenia.

“Where is the logic? What if 6000 Georgians lived instead of 600 in Armenia? Will their demand have bases? The communities that have for many centuries lived around the monasteries, never recorded about a Georgian family,” the expert said.