National Citizens' Initiative Examines Armenian Rights and Interests in Jerusalem - Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation

For Immediate Release

National Citizens’ Initiative Examines Armenian Rights and Interests in Jerusalem

Yerevan – The National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) convened today a working roundtable on “Armenian Rights and Interests in Jerusalem: New Challenges.” Officials from the Armenian foreign ministry, former foreign ministers of the Republic of Armenia and of Soviet Armenia, national parliamentarians, academicians, and political figures participated in the seminar.
In his opening remarks NCI coordinator Hrach Hakobyan queried: “What is the state of affairs today within the Armenian community of Jerusalem? What is the background to the recent issues surrounding Armenian properties? What are the frameworks within which the Republic of Armenia or pan-Armenian structures may involve themselves for the settlement of such issues? In particular, are the Armenian Patriarchate’s property matters subject to discussion on the basis of Armenia-Israel bilateral relations, on the level of Armenian and Jewish world organizations, or within the purview of the Armenian Apostolic Church? These are questions that require comprehensive examination and clear analysis.”

Yerevan State University professor and ambassador Davit Hovhannisyan delivered a background paper on the Armenian spiritual and proprietary presence in Jerusalem. He stressed that the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem has owned the property juridically independent of the local community and the Holy See of Etchmiadzin. “This is not an issue that Armenia, the Diaspora, and the Armenian Apostolic Church can settle without thorough investigation and constructive coordination. The matter has opened the possibility to realize solidarity among the three structures,” he said.

Hovsep Khurshudian, Diaspora analyst for the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS), addressed “The Jerusalem Issue in the Evolution of Contemporary Political Processes.” “Established churches worldwide have assumed an unequivocal attitude toward the issue at hand. The Russian Patriarch and the World Council of Churches have forcefully expressed their support of the Armenian Patriarchate’s rights. Recent news inspire some hope that the ongoing judicial process will deliver a just and favorable ruling on the Baron Der property.”

The formal deliberations were followed by questions, answers, and a multidisciplinary exchange among the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, NCI founder Raffi K. Hovannisian; the last Foreign Minister of Soviet Armenia Anatoli Mkrtchian; former deputy Foreign Minister Shahen Karamanoukian; National Assembly Committee Chairman Shavarsh Kocharian; deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Ruben Shugarian; former Armenian Prime Minister Vazgen Manoukian; Armenian National Committee representative Giro Manoyan; NCI council members Dr. Hranush Kharatian and Dr. Haik Sargsian; Foreign Ministry officials Yuri Babakhanian, Ruben Karapetian, and Edward Khojayan; National Unity Party representative Sargis Mouradkhanian; Noyan-Tapan news correspondent David Petrosian; and many others.

The National Citizens’ Initiative is a public non-profit association founded in December 2001 by Raffi Hovannisian, his colleagues, and fellow citizens with the purpose of realizing the rule of law and overall improvements in the state of the state, society, and public institutions. The National Citizens’ Initiative is guided by Coordinating Council, which includes individual citizens and representatives of various public, scientific, and educational establishments. Five commissions on Law and State Administration, Socio-economic Issues, Foreign Policy, Spiritual and Cultural Challenges, and the Youth constitute the vehicles for the Initiative’s work and outreach.