YEREVAN. – Armenian Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan and opposition Heritage Party Chairman, ex-presidential candidate, former FM Raffi Hovannisian likewise were invited to the official opening of the Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich (Saint John the Baptist) Church.

The place of worship was built with the financial means provided by Gagik Tsarukyan, the chairman of the non-pro-government Prosperous Armenia Party.  

Both Gasparyan and Hovannisian, however, did not attend the consecration ceremony of the newly built church in Abovyan city. 

Police Public Relations and Media Department Chief Ashot Aharonyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the Chief of Police could not attend the event solely due to his work overload. 

Heritage’s National Assembly Faction leader Ruben Hakobyan, who was on hand at the official opening on behalf of the party, told us that Hovannisian could not attend the event because he was not in capital city Yerevan and he was busy.    

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am