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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has emphasized the importance of separation between church and state.

"The state should not interfere in church affairs, just as the church should stay out of state matters," he said at a meeting with the Armenian community in Switzerland on Saturday, insisting that the government had no role in choosing the Catholicos of All Armenians.

Addressing the challenges in relations between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, Pashinyan stressed the need for transparency from the church.

"I strongly believe the church should be transparent. While the public demands transparency from the government, why should the church be treated differently?" he argued.

Pashinyan highlighted under the law, businesses, including those selling candles, should issue receipts.

"We want tax legislation to properly function in Armenia. However, we are committed to returning all taxes collected from the church activities back to the church, with not a single penny retained in the state budget. If additional funding is necessary to support the church operations in Armenia, we will consider that as well," he added.