Armenian officials have not received an invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Minsk, according to a statement by Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported by Sputnik Armenia.

The church consecration is scheduled for May 2025. The opening date will be coordinated with Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, who is expected to attend the ceremony alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

An inquiry was also sent to the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office to determine whether Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan or any other senior official had been invited to the event, and if so, who would represent Armenia in Minsk. However, the Prime Minister’s Office has not responded.

Instead, the Foreign Ministry confirmed: “In response to your inquiry, we inform you that no invitation has been received regarding this matter.”

Earlier, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov described the church’s construction as a project reflecting the genuine level of relations between the Belarusian and Armenian peoples, in contrast to critical remarks made by Armenian officials about the Belarusian leadership.

An estimated 30,000 Armenians currently live in Minsk.

Relations between Yerevan and Minsk have deteriorated recently, largely due to statements made by Lukashenko regarding the consequences of the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Prime Minister Pashinyan later accused Lukashenko of admitting to aiding Azerbaijan and imposed a ban on Armenian officials visiting Belarus while Lukashenko remains in power. The two countries exchanged diplomatic notes in June 2024, and following a new controversial comment by Lukashenko in August, tomatoes and potatoes were thrown at the Belarusian Embassy in Yerevan.