NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs of RA expresses its concern about the fact of encroachment upon St. Norashen church and its surroundings. The problem of Armenian churches in Georgia is not new, but things that are happening today against Armenian churches in Georgia are just unacceptable and condemnable and such progress of events can bring to unforeseen consequences.

Encroachment upon another Armenian church - Norashen demonstrates the unpleasant attitude of official Tbilisi towards the ethno-cultural and religious monuments of Armenian nation. The government of Georgia obliged to the international community to build a democratic state, but it doesn’t display the required political will in the matter of protecting the rights of its residents of Armenian nationality.

We will be consistent in the matter of protecting our historical and cultural monuments as our national property. We will carry out the latter regardless the country where the monuments are situated and without baring any encroachment upon our religious dignity. Therefore, today we have to state the fact that, actually, there are evidences of religious and national discrimination in Georgia. There is an impression that the Georgian side is not that much interested in comprehension of St. Norashen church but in using such kind of methods for keeping Armenians in Georgia under psychological and moral pressure. This, of course, is just unbearable.

Therefore we call all the political and religious powers of Georgia to demonstrate an adequate attitude of the national state elite and to watch over the Armenians in Georgia and their fare demands and to use all their means to stop the unlawful activities against St. Norashen church. I would also like to inform that the issue of Armenian churches in Georgia is at the center of attention of “Prosperous Armenia” political party and in the near future our experts will visit Georgia in order to have a detailed observation of this issue.