The Government of Armenia canceled the norm on gratuitous transfer of lands to AAC ownership

The Government of Armenia made a decision to cancel the norm providing for the gratuitous transfer of state and community lands into the ownership of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). Now, instead of granting the right of ownership to the Church, the right of gratuitous use of land plots will be offered.

As Novosti-Armenia reports, the decision was adopted at the government session on Thursday, December 25. According to the new amendments, the norm that allowed to provide the AAC with land plots owned by the state or community for permanent use without tender and free of charge has been recognized invalid.

The justification of the governmental decision notes that until now, in accordance with the Land Code of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Apostolic Church was granted land plots for the construction and maintenance of churches and other church buildings free of charge. Now this order will be changed: instead of transferring the ownership of the land plots to the Church, the Church will be granted the right to use the said land plots free of charge.

We would like to remind that earlier we reported that a street action «We are together with Echmiadzin» in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) took place in Moscow near the Armenian Embassy. The event, organized by the public movement «Noah’s Heirs» with the participation of the Russian and Novo-Nakhichevan Diocese of the AAC, took place against the background of the aggravation of relations between the state and the church.