Land in Armenia will no longer be transferred to AAC

ArmInfo. From now on, land for the construction and maintenance of churches in Armenia will no longer be transferred to the Mother See of Etchmiadzin as property, but will be subject to free use agreements. The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia will discuss amendments to the Land Code of the Republic of Armenia in its second reading at its plenary session on March 24.

According to Asatur Vardanyan, Deputy Minister of Territorial  Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia, the  amendments propose abolishing the free transfer of state and  municipal lands to the Armenian Apostolic Church. Previously  transferred lands will remain the property of the Church, but new  lands will be provided only on a free use basis. The changes are  aimed at regulating the use of church lands. In this way, the  government seeks to streamline the process of land allocation and  legal relations with the Church. "Considering that Part 2 of Article  64 of the Land Code concerns the gratuitous provision of land plots,  and Article 75 already provides for the provision of state- and  municipally owned land to the AAC for free use without a competitive  tender, the draft law provides for the repeal of Part 2 of Article 64  of the Land Code," the Deputy Minister stated.