Key facts
- Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) alleges the EU is pressuring Armenia to expel the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
- The SVR claims this is a condition for Armenia's EU integration.
- The SVR states that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is pursuing this policy.
- The ROC maintains a diocese in Armenia with five parish churches, a monastery, and two military chapels.
- Two Armenia-based NGOs previously accused an ROC priest of influencing the upcoming election through sermons.
Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has alleged that the European Union is pressuring Armenia to expel the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) as a prerequisite for EU integration. According to the SVR, EU officials have made severing religious ties with Moscow a condition for closer ties with the West, a policy they claim is being pursued by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Armenia maintains close economic ties with Russia and hosts a Russian military base. The SVR referenced a May statement by two Armenia-based NGOs that accused an ROC priest of influencing the upcoming election through his sermons, including at a church on the Russian military base in Gyumri. The agency stated these allegations are part of a campaign orchestrated by Brussels, with EU operatives allegedly fabricating compromising evidence against Russian clergy. Armenia's dominant religious institution is the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is distinct from the ROC but regards it as a close Christian ally. Pashinyan's government has faced protests, with critics accusing him of betraying national interests, while he has accused opponents of plotting a coup.