PM: religious freedom key to democracy in Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Religious freedom is a crucial component of democracy in Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during his speech at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington. He also addressed questions from the moderator.

"From my perspective, religious freedom is about democracy. There can be no democracy without religious freedom, as being free means having the liberty to perceive God and religion in one's own way. However, freedom also entails tolerance toward others' religious beliefs—without this balance, religious fanaticism and extremism may emerge. Believing or not believing in God is a matter of personal faith and individual liberty," Pashinyan said.

He recalled that Armenia joined the International Religious Freedom Alliance in 2020, during President Trump's first term, at the initiative of the United States.

"Armenia’s main religious institution is the Armenian Apostolic Church. This is natural, as Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD, under King Tiridates III. Since then, the Armenian Apostolic Church has played a significant role in our nation's history.

In Armenia, we also have the Armenian Catholic Church and the Armenian Evangelical Association of America, both of which operate freely and are highly respected within our society. Other Christian-based religious organizations also exist and function without restrictions.

I would also like to highlight that Armenia is home to the world's largest Yazidi community, and recently, the largest Yazidi temple in the world was built in Armenia. Additionally, we have the presence of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Assyrian Church, Russian Molokans, and adherents of pagan traditions.

Although Armenia’s Jewish community is small, it plays a vital role in our diverse society, with its religious life centered around the synagogue in Yerevan.

In the heart of our capital, Yerevan, we have an active Muslim mosque, which is an important part of our cultural heritage," the Prime Minister added.

Discussing regional relations, Pashinyan noted that three of Armenia’s four neighboring countries—Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan—have predominantly Muslim populations.

"Our other neighbor, Georgia, is primarily Christian but has a significant Muslim community. This demonstrates how crucial religious tolerance is for regional stability.

Fortunately, despite political and ethnic tensions, we have a strong tradition of religious tolerance and respect in our region, making sustainable peace in the South Caucasus more achievable. We hope to transform regional disputes into regional dialogue, and religious freedom is one of the tools that can help us achieve this," Pashinyan stated.

During the subsequent discussions, the Prime Minister responded to questions from moderator David Curry.