The Walls of the Mother Cathedral Have Been Plasticized, As If I Were in a Low-End Supermarket: Bagrat Arakelyan

Economist and political analyst Bagrat Arakelyan believes that certain individuals who have seized and occupied the Mother See are targeting honest clergy. He stated this in an interview with Haykakan Zhamanak.

According to him, these individuals have turned the Mother See into a business entity through which they earn money and promote personal interests, including interfering in politics. “They continue their agent activities for Russia. We see how certain clergy live in luxury, what cars they are allowed to have, and their unacceptable behavior. How can an Armenian cleric afford to drive a car worth several hundred thousand dollars? They have transformed the church into a totalitarian organization where no clergyman has the right to express an opinion,” he said.

The interviewee noted that the church has entered into political struggles with the state. “For years, they did not speak out, and suddenly started demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. When the state confronted a criminal organization (referring to the arrest of Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan), the church bells rang,” he added.

At the same time, Arakelyan observes that Ktrich Nersisyan would be happy to leave today, but since he is an agent, it might not end well for him to do so. “Recently, I was at the Mother Cathedral and was shocked. The walls have been plasticized, I can't even express how, but it felt like I was in a cheap supermarket, while we are talking about our Mother Cathedral being the oldest Christian structure; this is disgraceful. Not to mention, the cemetery of the holy fathers has been turned into a dump,” he said, adding, “Whenever Ktrich Nersisyan visits a country, he asks who the richest person is and wants to meet them. I wholeheartedly support the Prime Minister's efforts to clean the church.”

Addressing the ongoing processes surrounding the Electricity Distribution Company, the interlocutor noted that many machinations have taken place there. “Samvel Karapetyan knew that the problems he created would surface, which is why he entered politics to politicize it,” he concluded.