YEREVAN. – Discussions on family, tradition, and church protection should be conducted at the level of established laws and state obligations, not of expediency. Gevorg Danielyan, a member of the "Protection of National Values" initiative and former minister of justice of Armenia, stated this Friday at a press conference.

According to him, first the state should take steps in that direction, and then the public's assessments should be voiced. "A signature campaign will allow clarifying the position of the population, and we will initiate a referendum in case of first necessity," Danielyan added.

He slammed the popular theory that all countries accept and ratify conventions which are talked about a lot, but this, according to him, is not true, as even European countries refuse from them. "And the countries that accept them, accept them taking into account their realities.

As for the church, it has a state status in many countries. That institution is essential for us [Armenians]. The activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church can alleviate this negative process to some extent.

When it comes to same-sex relationships, if you give them family status, it will mean a discriminatory treatment toward those who, for example, live together but do not have sexual relations. It is almost impossible to set standards between them and grasp why one group needs additional rights, but not the other," the ex-minister stressed.