Hasmik Martirosyan
Public Radio of Armenia

When a new Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople will be elected is still unclear.

Vicar-General of the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, Archbishop Aram Ateshian says the meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was encouraging, but uncertainty about the terms of new elections is still there.

The issue was discussed earlier this week during Mevlut Cavusoglu’s meeting with Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, representative of the Armenian Church at the Vatican, Shahe Ananyan, Director of the Inter-Church relations Department of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin and Patriarchate’s Vicar-General Archbishop Aram Ateshian.

“The Minister said they are not against, and the elections must certainly take place, but there should first be unity among the community,” Archbishop Ateshian told Public Radio of Armenia.

According to him, Cavusoglu advised the community not to hurry because the Turkish authorities have their own issues to solve.

The country is going to hold municipal elections on March 31 and the authorities are busy with domestic issues, the Patriarchal Vicar said.

“After that we’ll see which are the soonest terms we can authorize the election,” the Archbishop quoted Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying.

He reminded that the state also has a say in the election, and it’s not only up to the community to make the choice.

The Patriarcial Vicar added no one can know when the election will take place – in 63 months, 8 months or more.