The prime minister has announced that a working group is being formed that will carry out certain functions and that the work of that working group will be exclusively within the framework of the constitution and current laws of Armenia. I ask that you have no doubts about that. The Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Davit Khudatyan, told this to reporters in the National Assembly Wednesday—and referring to PM Nikol Pashinyan’s announcement that a process to replace Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II was being launched, and when asked to what extent this fits into the laws and legality of Armenia.

Regarding the remark that the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian state are separate, Khudatyan said: “In general, all our actions that have taken place over the past seven years have been within the framework of the current legislation and constitution of the Republic of Armenia. When that working group publicizes its rules of procedure, you will see that it does not contradict the constitution and current laws of the Republic of Armenia in any way. I myself rule out such a situation when we go against the laws and the constitution and, also, against morality.

There will be no political actions because our motivation in that regard is not political. The prime minister has said that this matter is interesting to us and me personally as Armenian Christians, and the alleged violation of the vow of celibacy, or the already announced violation is also in this logic.

I assume that the working group will not be composed of officials, it will be composed of citizens. I do not rule out that it will be composed also of clergymen, current or former, and I believe that everything I said fits into this logic,” said the minister of territorial administration and infrastructure of Armenia.