The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, headed by Sergei Naryshkin, expressed concern about the European Union's efforts to weaken the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Armenia. According to the agency, European structures have demanded that Armenia sever long-standing spiritual ties with Moscow as a condition for European integration.
The agency's official website published a statement claiming that "Euro-Antichrists" are targeting the ROC in Armenia. It emphasizes that European organizations are attempting to deprive the Yerevan-Armenian Diocese of the ROC of the right to use church property and hinder its interaction with other religious organizations, particularly the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The SVR statement cites an example that, according to the agency, demonstrates the EU's methods of combating "hybrid" threats in Armenia: the attack on Priest Timofey Kazaryan, rector of the Archangel Michael Chapel at the 102nd Russian Military Base in Gyumri.
The SVR claims that EU-funded non-governmental organizations, namely the Union of Informed Citizens and the Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, have brought charges against the cleric of the Armenian Apostolic Church, suspecting him of interfering in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The SVR also claims that European structures are preparing compromising materials on other representatives of the Yerevan-Armenian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in order to induce the Armenian authorities to exert pressure on the church.
The agency emphasized the historical depth of Russian-Armenian relations and the strength of the spiritual ties between the peoples, which, according to the SVR, are capable of overcoming temporary political differences.
Previously, the Armenian leadership and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have repeatedly accused the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church of having ties to Russian intelligence services. They believe that Moscow, through the clergy, is attempting to influence the socio-political situation in Armenia to further its own interests.
