People probably attend different churches. Or don't attend them at all, Armenian Ambassador for Special Assignments Edmon Marukyan told reporters on January 6, responding to a question about why high-ranking officials did not attend the Christmas liturgy held by His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.

According to Marukyan, this is everyone's personal business. He urged not to draw far-reaching conclusions, hastening to recall that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered a Christmas greeting the day before. "This is not a topic for politicization," Edmon Marukyan noted.

Asked whether the absence of dignitaries was due to the fact that the Holy Patriarch was celebrating the liturgy and whether there were differences in church-state relations, the government representative hurriedly disavowed. "I am not a judge of anyone's differences. I only hope that we will be able to solve together the problems we all face," Edmond Marukian concluded.