ISSUES RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT OF DRAFT LAW ON ACTIVITIES OF CHURCH DISCUSSED AT MEETING OF KAREKIN II AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER
Noyan Tapan
Aug 28 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Speaker of the RA National
Asembly Tigran Torosian on August 28 received Catholicos of All
Armenians Karekin II. NT was informed about it from the RA National
Assembly PR Department. His Holiness, who was for the first time
in the parliament since T. Torosian’s election as the NA Speaker,
congratulated T. Torosian, wishing him fruitful activities.
Karekin II also spoke about the long-standing and efficient
cooperation that preceded T. Torosian’s election as NA Speaker and
found its expression in protection of the interests of the Armenian
Apostolic Church. Issues related to the development of a draft law on
activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church were discussed during the
meeting. These issues are among new laws and legislative amendments
to be adopted after the referendum on constitutional amendments. His
Holiness expressed a hope that the development and adoption of
the draft will allow to regulate relations between the church and
the state and all problems related to the protocol of state events
with the participation of high-ranking clergymen, as well as the tax
field, spiritual upbringing and education, and the use of the Armenian
Apostolic Church’s symbols. Attaching special importance to the role
that the Armenian Apostolic Church plays in the society and underlining
the necesity to adopt the draft law and to set up a authorized
body to regulate the current state-church relations and issues,
T. Torosian said that the draft should specify the mission of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, the role it played and will play in the
spiritual and cultural life in terms of rights. The inrelocutors
agreed to have meetings in the future as well – in order to develop
a draft law through joint discussions and to put that draft in
circulation. T. Torosian and Karekin II also discussed a number of
other issues of mutual interest.