The Supreme Spiritual Council (SSC) of the Armenian Apostolic Church, in a statement released today on the challenges faced by Armenia and Artsakh following the 2020 Artsakh war and the September 2022 Azerbaijani attacks against Armenia, declared its support of Artsakh Armenians to self-determination.

The SSC called on the Armenian government to work towards creating a healthy political dialog and ending discrimination along political lines.

The SSC says it’s concerned about the deterioration of spiritual and moral values ​​in the life of the people, the crisis of identity, intra-societal polarization, and the increase of uncertainty and anxiety about the future.

“We urge all Armenians living in the country and around the world to unite in defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia and the right of self-determination of Artsakh,” the statement reads.

The SSC says it supports the efforts of the international community to establish regional stability and peace, stressing that all unresolved conflicts must be settled via negotiations.

“Within the framework of the peaceful settlement process, the release of prisoners of war and detained civilians and the return of the bodies of the dead should be prioritized.” the SSC writes.

The statement also thanks Russia for sending peacekeepers to Karabakh.

“The motherland is the guarantee of the nation's permanency. Therefore, to extricate the country from current extreme crisis, it is necessary to exclude every divisive aspiration and interest.”