MP: Azerbaijan sees Armenian church as key obstacle to weakening country

Azerbaijani media has been actively covering Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ongoing attacks on the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, opposition Pativ Unem faction MP Tigran Abrahamyan says.

"On one hand, Azerbaijan is evidently encouraging and providing propaganda support to Armenia’s ruler. On the other hand, it reveals Baku’s internal fears and concerns regarding the influence and national stance of the Armenian Apostolic Church," Abrahamyan wrote on Facebook on Monday.

According to him, Azerbaijani narratives portray the Mother See in Etchmiadzin as a hub of revanchism – a characterization rooted in the church's opposition to the Armenian government's policies of surrender, appeasement and denial.

"Azerbaijan realizes that without sidelining the Armenian Apostolic Church, it will be extremely difficult to strip Armenia of its vitality. One of the main centers of national resilience must therefore be kept under constant pressure," the MP stated.