Political analyst Suren Surenyants has criticized a politically motivated decision preventing Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II from traveling abroad, calling it a “dangerous manifestation” for Armenian statehood.
The travel restriction barred the Armenian church leader from attending the funeral of Georgian Patriarch Ilia II despite an official invitation from Tbilisi. Surenyants argued that legal justifications in this case are unconvincing and warned against using the law as a tool for domestic political retribution.
In a social media post on Saturday, Surenyants warned the situation places Armenia in a “vulnerable and embarrassing” diplomatic position, undermining its ability to ensure representation at a significant event. He added that the absence of Armenia’s spiritual leader risks casting a shadow over Armenian-Georgian relations.
He concluded that the incident reflects a broader pattern of weakening state institutions, with consequences increasingly visible both domestically and internationally.
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