Any country is free to award whomever it wishes, including an Armenian archbishop. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told this to a press briefing Thursday, as he commented on Russian President Vladimir Putin awarding the Order of Alexander Nevsky to Archbishop Yezras Nersissian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Russia and New Nakhichevan of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

To note, Archbishop Yezras Nersissian is the brother of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

Pashinyan did not rule out that Nersissian holds Russian citizenship, too.

The Armenian premier explained that when speaking about a KGB agent, he meant “Yezras Nersissian” specifically. According to him, from the published documents it becomes clear that Nersissian was recruited during Soviet times as “Agent Pope.”

“This is a fact,” the Armenian PM added.