The Armenian Foreign Ministry has not received an official invitation from Ankara to attend the service at Surb Khach church on Akhtamar Island scheduled for September 19, RA foreign office press secretary Tigran Balayan told NEWS.am.

The Ministry of Culture has not received an invitation as well. Head of the ministry’s information department Gayane Durgaryan stated that an invitation should be handed through Foreign Ministry, as Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations.

As NEWS.am reported earlier, the church was restored in 2007 and is presently functioning as a museum. On September 19, it will be open for religious services on the initiative of Van province Governor and Constantinople Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Turkish side stated that a cross will be put on the dome of the church as well.