Armenian side opposes formation of commission on Surb NorashenDecember 22, 2008 - 13:29 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian side is against formation of a commission to be charged with a task to clear up whom Surb Norashen belongs to. This church is Armenian, said bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, head of the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. "Five churches should be returned to the AAC, namely Surb Norashen, Surb Nshan, Shamkhoretsots Surb Astvatsatsin (Karmir Avetaran), Yerevanots Surb Minas and Mugni Surb Gevorg. The fact that these churches are Armenian is not questioned. Georgia's claims that the foundation of the churches is Georgian are absurd. If there is a Georgian archeologist of genius who could define whom a church belongs to, he would undoubtedly be worth of Noble Prize," the bishop said. He also refuted the Georgian Patriarchate's statement that an agreement on formation of a commission was achieved during the November 26 meeting in Tbilisi. "More than 20 Armenian churches have been already transformed into Georgian ones in 1990ies. The Armenian side could agree to form a commission if the problem of these churches is also addressed," bishop Mirzakhanyan said, Bagin.info reports. Presently, 32 reconstructed Armenian churches function in Georgia. Majority of them are situated in Samtskhe Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Your home is in Armenia – Ameriabank offers mortgage loans for the Diaspora To buy real estate, Diasporans can apply to Ameriabank online to buy, renovate or build a home anywhere in Armenia. Armenia-Qatar ties discussed in Doha The Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council met with the Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council of Qatar. ARARAT special evening dedicated to Aznavour's 100th Anniv. On May 20 ARARAT legendary Armenian brandy, celebrated the centennial of Maestro Charles Aznavour with a special event. Surveying works underway in Armenia’s Kirants Surveying works are underway in the Armenian village of Kirants in the northern Tavush province. |